
0* 

LI BRARY 

OF THE 

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. 


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HOMEWAKD BOUND; 

OR, 

THE CHASE, 

1 Cub nf tjr* $ta* 

BY J. FENIMORE COOPER. 


&quot;Is t not strange, Canidius, 
That from Tarentum and Brundusium, 
He oould so quickly cut the Ionian Sea, 
And take in Toryne?&quot; Shakspeare. 


CO M P LET^N Nsi^O L U ME. 


NEW EDITION. 


NEW YORK: 
STRINGER AND TOWNSEND 

1856. 






HOMEWARD BOUND. 


Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1888, b7 

CARET, LEA, AND BLANCIIAKD 

In the Clerk s Office of the District Court of the United States, in and for 
the Eastern Distric* of Pennsylvania. 


FBINTKD BY 
B. N. GROSSMAIC, 

ft A, 84 Beekman St. 


PREFACE. 


IN one respect, this book is a parallel to Franklin s 
well-known apologue of the hatter and his sign. It 
was commenced with a sole view to exhibit the pre 
sent state of society in the United States, through the 
agency, in part, of a set of characters with different 
peculiarities, who had freshly arrived from Europe, and 
to whom the distinctive features of the country would 
be apt to present themselves with greater force, than 
to those who had never lived beyond the influence of 
the things portrayed. By the original plan, the work 
was to open at the threshold of the country, or with 
the arrival of the travellers at Sandy Hook, from 
which point the tale was to have been carried regular 
ly forward to its conclusion. But a consultation with 
others has left little more of this plan than the hatter s 
friends left of his sign. As a vessel was introduced in 
the first chapter, the cry was for &quot; more ship,&quot; until 
the work has become &quot; all ship ;&quot; it actually closing 
at, or near, the spot where it was originally intended 
it should commence. Owing to this diversion from the 
author s design a design that lay at the bottom of all 
his projects a necessity has been created of running 
the tale through two separate works, or of making a 


IV PREFACE. 

hurried and insufficient conclusion. The former scheme 
has, consequently, been adopted. 

It is hoped that the interest of the narrative will not 
be essentially diminished by this arrangement. 

There will be, very likely, certain imaginative per 
sons, who will feel disposed to deny that every minute 
event mentioned in these volumes ever befell one and 
the same ship, though ready enough to admit that they 
may very well have occurred to several different ships; 
a mode of commenting that is much in favour with 
your small critic. To this objection, we shall make 
but a single answer. The caviller, if any there should 
prove to be, is challenged to produce the log-book of 
the Montauk, London packet, and if it should be found 
to contain a single sentence to controvert any one of 
our statements or facts, a frank recantation shall be 
made. Captain Truck is quite as well known in New 
York as in London or Portsmouth, and to him also we 
refer with confidence, for a confirmation of all we have 
said, with the exception, perhaps, of the little occa 
sional touches of character that may allude directly to 
himself. In relation to the latter, Mr. Leach, and par 
ticularly Mr. Saunders, are both invoked as unimpeach 
able witnesses. 

Most of our readers will probably know that all 
which appears in a New York journal is not neces 
sarily as true as the Gospel. As some slight deviations 
from the facts accidentally occur, though doubtless at 
very long intervals, it should not be surprising that 
they sometimes omit circumstances that are quite as 
veracious as anything they do actually utter to the 
world. No argument, therefore, can justly be urged 
against the incidents of this story, on account of the 


PREFACE. V 

Circumstance of their not being embodied in the regu 
lar marine news of the day. 

Another serious objection on the part of the Ameri 
can reader to this work is foreseen. The author has 
endeavoured to interest his readers in occurrences of a 
date as antiquated as two years can make them, when 
he is quite aware, that, in order to keep pace with a 
state of society in which there was no yesterday, it 
would have been much safer to anticipate things, by 
laying his scene two years in advance. It is hoped, 
however, that the public sentiment will not be out 
raged by this glimpse at antiquity, and this the more 
so, as the sequel of the tale will bring down events 
within a year of the present moment. 

Previously to the appearance of that sequel, how 
ever, it may be well to say a few words concerning 
the fortunes of some of our characters, as it might be 
en attendant. 

To commence with the most important : the Mon- 
tauk herself, once deemed so &quot; splendid&quot; and conveni 
ent, is already supplanted in the public favour by a 
new ship ; the reign of a popular packet, a popular 
preacher, or a popular anything-else, in America, being 
limited by a national esprit de corps, to a time materi 
ally shorter than that of a lustre. This, however, is 
no more than just ; rotation in favour being as evident 
ly a matter of constitutional necessity, as rotation in 
office. 

Captain Truck, for a novelty, continues popular, a 
circumstance that he himself ascribes to the fact of 
his being still a bachelor. 

Toast is promoted, figuring at the head of a pantry 
quite equal to that of his great master, who regards 




Vi PREFACE. 

his improvement with some such eyes as Charles the 
Twelfth of Sweden regarded that of his great rival 
Peter, after the affair of Pultowa. 

Mr. Leach now smokes his own cigar, and issues his 
own orders from a monkey rail, his place in the line 
being supplied by his former &quot; Dickey.&quot; He already 
speaks of his great model, as of one a little antiquated, 
it is true, but as a man who had merit in his time, 
though it was not the particular merit that is in fashion 
to-day. 

Notwithstanding these little changes, which are per 
haps inseparable from the events of a period so long 
as two years in a country as energetic as America, and 
in which nothing seems to be stationary but the ages 
of Tontine nominees and three-life leases, a cordial 
esteem was created among the principal actors in the 
events of this book, which is likely to outlast the pas 
sage, and which will not fail to bring most of them 
together again in the sequel. 

April 1838. 


.ll c/&quot;0 ;i on 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


CHAPTER I. 


An inner room I have, 

Where thou shalt rest and some refreshment take, 
And then we will more fully talk of this. 

ORRA. 


THE coast of England, though infinitely finer than our 
own, is more remarkable for its verdure, and for a general 
appearance of civilisation, than for its natural beauties. 
The chalky cliffs may seem bold and noble to the Ameri 
can, though compared to the granite piles that buttress the 
Mediterranean they are but mole-hills; and the travelled 
eye seeks beauties instead, in the retiring vales, the leafy- 
hedges, and the clustering towns that dot the teeming island. 
Neither is Portsmouth a very favourable specimen of a 
British port, considered solely in reference to the pictur 
esque. A town situated on a humble point, and fortified 
after the manner of the Low Countries, with an excellent 
haven, suggests more images of the useful than of the 
pleasing; while a background of modest receding hills 
offers little beyond the verdant swales of the country. In 
this respect England itself has the fresh beauty of youth, 
rather than the mellowed hues of a more advanced period 
of life ; or it might be better to say, it has the young fresh 
ness and retiring sweetness that distinguish her females, as 
compared with the warmer tints of Spain and Italy, and 
which, women and landscape alike, need the ne-ar view to 
be appreciated. 


8 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

Some such thoughts as these passed through the mind 
of the traveller who stood on the deck of the packet Mon- 
tauk, resting an elbow on the quarter-deck rail, as he con 
templated the view of the coast that stretched before him 
east and west for leagues. The manner in which this gen- 
tleman, whose temples were sprinkled with grey hairs, re 
garded the scene, denoted more of the thoughtfulness of 
experience, and of tastes improved by observation, than it 
is usual to meet amid the bustling and common-place char 
acters that compose the majority m almost every situation 
of life. The calmness of his exterior, an air removed equal 
ly from the admiration of the novice and the supercilious 
ness of the tyro, had, indeed, so strongly distinguished him 
from the moment he embarked in London to that in which 
he was now seen in the position mentioned, that several of 
the seamen swore he was a man-of-war s-man in disguise, 
The fair-haired, lovely, blue-eyed girl at his side, too, 
seemed a. softened reflection of all his sentiment, intelli 
gence, knowledge, tastes, and cultivation, united to the art. 
lessness and simplicity that became her sex and years. 

&quot; We have seen nobler coasts, Eve,&quot; said the gentleman, 
pressing the arm that leaned on his own ; &quot; but, after all, 
England will always be fair to American eyes.&quot; 

&quot; More particularly so if those eyes first opened to the 
light in the eighteenth century, father.&quot; 

&quot; You, at least, my child, have been educated beyond the 
reach of national foibles, whatever may have been my own 
evil fortune ; and still, I think even you have seen a great 
deal to admire in this country, as well as in this coast.&quot; 

Eve Effingham glanced a moment towards the eye cf her 
father, and perceiving that he spoke in playfulness, without 
suffering a cloud to shadow a countenance that usually 
varied with her emotions, she continued the discourse, 
which had, in fact, only been resumed by the remark first 
mentioned. 

&quot; I have been educated, as it is termed, in so many dif 
ferent places and countries,&quot; returned Eve, smiling, &quot; that I 
sometimes fancy I was born a woman, like my great prede 
cessor and namesake, the mother of Abel. If a congress 
of nations, in the way of masters, can make one indepen 
dent of prejudice, I may claim to possess the advantage. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 9 

My greatest fear is, that in acquiring liberality, I have 
acquired nothing else.&quot; 

Mr. Effingham turned a look of parental fondness, in 
which parental pride was clearly mingled, on the face of 
his daughter, and said with his eyes, though his tongue did 
not second the expression, &quot; This is a fear, sweet one, that 
none besides thyself would feel.&quot; 

&quot; A congress of nations, truly !&quot; muttered another male 
voice near the father and daughter. &quot; You have been 
taught music in general, by seven masters of as many dif 
ferent states, besides the touch of the guitar by a Spaniard ; 
Greek by a German ; the living tongues by the European 
powers, and philosophy by seeing the world ; and now, 
with a brain full of learning, fingers full of touches, eyes 
full of tints, and a person full of grace, your father is tak 
ing you back to America, to waste your sweetness on the 
desert air. &quot; 

&quot;Poetically expressed, if not justly imagined, cousin 
Jack,&quot; returned the laughing Eve ; &quot; but you have forgot 
to add, and a heart full of feeling for the land of my birth.&quot; 

&quot; We shall see, in the end.&quot; 

&quot; In the end, as in the beginning, now and for evermore.&quot; 

&quot; All love is eternal in the commencement.&quot; 

&quot; Do you make no allowance for the constancy of wo 
man ? Think you that a girl of twenty can forget the coun 
try of her birth, the land of her forefathers or, as you 
call it yourself when in a good humour, the land of liberty ?&quot; 

&quot; A pretty specimen you will have of its liberty !&quot; re 
turned the cousin sarcastically. &quot; After having passed a 
girlhood of wholesome restraint in the rational society of 
Europe, you are about to return home to the slavery of 
American female life, just as you are about to be married!&quot; 

Married ! Mr. Effingham ?&quot; 

&quot; I suppose the catastrophe will arrive, sooner or later , 
and it is more likely to occur to a girl of twenty than to a 
girl of ten.&quot; 

&quot; Mr. John Effingham never lost an argument for the 
want of a convenient fact, my love,&quot; the father observed 
by way of bringing the brief discussion to a close. &quot; But 
here are the boats approaching ; let us withdraw a little, 


10 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

and examine the chance medley of faces with which we are 
lo become familiar by the intercourse of a month.&quot; 

&quot; You will be much more likely to agree on a verdict of 
murder,&quot; muttered the kinsman. 

Mr. Effingham led his daughter into the hurricane-house 
or, as the packet-men quaintly term it, the coach-house, 
where they stood watching the movements on the quarter 
deck for the next half-hour ; an interval of which we shall 
take advantage to touch in a few of the stronger lights of 
our picture, leaving the softer tints and the shadows to be 
discovered by the manner in which the artist &quot; tells the 
story.&quot; 

Edward and John Effingham were brothers children; 
were born on the same day ; had passionately loved the 
same woman, who had preferred the first-named, and died 
soon after Eve was born ; had, notwithstanding this colli 
sion in feeling, remained sincere friends, and this the more 
so, probably, from a mutual and natural sympathy in their 
common loss ; had lived much together at home, and tra 
velled much together abroad, and were now about to return 
in company to the land of their birth, after what might be 
termed an absence of twelve years ; though both had vis 
ited America for short periods in the intervals, John not 
less than five times. 

There was a strong family likeness between the cousins, 
their persons and even features being almost identical; 
though it was scarcely possible for two human beings to 
leave more opposite impressions on mere casual spectators 
when seen separately. Both were tall, of commanding 
presence, and handsome ; while one was winning in appear 
ance, and the other, if not positively forbidding, at least 
distant and repulsive. The noble outline of face in Edward 
Effingham had got to be cold severity in that of John ; the 
aquiline nose of the latter, seeming to possess an eagle-like 
and hostile curvature, his compressed lip, sarcastic and 
cold expression, and the fine classical chin, a feature in 
which so many of the Saxon race fail, a haughty scorn that 
caused sti angers usually to avoid him. Eve drew with 
great facility and truth, and she had an eye, as her cousin 
had rightly said, &quot; full of tints.&quot; Often and often had she 
sketched both of these loved faces, and never without won- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 11 

Bering wherein that strong difference existed in nature 
which she had never been able to impart to her drawings. 
The truth is, that the subtle character of John Effingham s 
face would have puzzled the skill of one who had made the 
art his study for a life, and it utterly set the graceful but 
scarcely profound knowledge of the beautiful young painter 
at defiance. All the points of character that rendered her 
father so amiable and so winning, and which were rather 
felt than perceived, in his cousin were salient and bold, and 
if it may be thus expressed, had become indurated by men 
tal suffering and disappointment. 

The cousins were both rich, though in ways as opposite 
as their dispositions and habits of thought. Edward Effing, 
ham possessed a large hereditary property, that brought a 
good income, and which attached him to this world of ours 
by kindly feelings towards itjs land and water ; while John, 
much the wealthier of the two, having inherited a large 
commercial fortune, did not own ground enough to bury 
him. As he sometimes deridingly said, he &quot; kept his gold 
m corporations, that were as soulless as himself.&quot; 

Still, John Effingham was a man of cultivated mind, of 
extensive intercourse with the world, and of manners that 
varied with the occasion ; or perhaps it were better to say, 
with his humours. In all these particulars but the latter 
the cousins were alike; Edward Effingham s deportment 
being as equal as his temper, though also distinguished for 
a knowledge of society. 

These gentlemen had embarked at London, on their 
fiftieth birthday, m the packet of the 1st of October, bound 
to New York; the lands and family residence of the pro- 
pnetor lying m the state of that name, of which all of the 
parties were natives. It is not usual for the cabin passen- 
gers of the London packets to embark in the docks ; but 
Mr. Effingham, as we shall call the father in general, to 
distinguish him from the bachelor, John, as an old and 
experienced traveller, had determined to make his daughter 
familiar with the peculiar odours of the vessel in smooth 
water, as a protection against sea-sickness; a malady, 
however, from which she proved to be singularly exempt in 
the end. They had, accordingly, been on board three days, 
when the ship came to an anchor off Portsmouth, the point 


12 HOMEWARD BOUND 

where the remainder of the passengers were to join her on 
that particular day when the scene of this tale commences. 

At this precise moment, then, the Montauk was lying at 
a single anchor, not less than a league from the land, in a 
flat calm, with her three topsails loose, the courses in the 
brails, and with all those signs of preparation about her that 
are so bewildering to landsmen, but which seamen compre 
hend as clearly as words. The captain had no other busi 
ness there than to take on board the wayfarers, and to 
renew his supply of fresh meat and vegetables ; things of 
so familiar import on shore as to be seldom thought of until 
missed, but which swell into importance during a passage 
of a month s duration. Eve had employed her three days 
of probation quite usefully, having, with the exception of 
the two gentlemen, the officers of the vessel, and one other 
person, been in quiet possession of all the ample, not to say 
luxurious cabins. It is true, she had a female attendant ; 
but to her she had been accustomed from childhood, and 
Nanny Sidley, as her quondam nurse and actual lady s- 
maid was termed, appeared so much a part of herself, that, 
while her absence would be missed almost as greatly as that 
of a limb, her presence was as much a matter of course as 
a hand or foot. Nor will a passing word concerning this 
excellent and faithful domestic be thrown away, in the 
brief preliminary explanations we are making. 

Ann Sidley was one of those excellent creatures who, it 
is the custom with the European travellers to say, do not 
exist at all in America, and who, while they are certainly 
less numerous than could be wished, have no superiors in 
the world, in their way. She had been born a servant, 
lived a servant, and was quite content to die a servant, 
and this, too, in one and the same family. We shall not 
enter into a philosophical examination of the reasons that 
had induced old Ann to feel certain she was in the precise 
situation to render her more happy than any other that to 
her was attainable ; but feel it she did, as John Effingham 
used to express it, &quot; from the crown of her head to the sole 
of her foot.&quot; She had passed through infancy, childhood, 
girlhood, up to womanhood, pari passu, with the mother of 
Eve, having been the daughter of a gardener, who died in 
the service of the family, and had heart enough to feel that 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 13 

the mixed relations of civilised society, when properly 
understood and appreciated, are more pregnant of happiness 
than the vulgar scramble and heart-burnings, that, in the 
mdee of a migrating and unsettled population, are so inju 
rious to the grace and principles of American life. At the 
death of Eve s mother, she had transferred her affections to 
the child; and twenty years of assiduity and care had 
brought her to feel as much tenderness for her lovely young 
charge as if she had been her natural parent. But Nanny 
Sidley was better fitted to care for the body than the mind 
of Eve ; and when, at the age of ten, the latter was placed 
under the control of an accomplished governess, the good 
woman had meekly and quietly sunk the duties of the nurse 
in those of the maid. 

One of the severest trials or &quot; crosses,&quot; as she herself 
termed it that poor Nanny had ever experienced, was 
endured when Eve began to speak in a language she could 
not herself comprehend ; for, in despite of the best inten 
tions in the world, and twelve years of use, the good woman 
could never make anything of the foreign tongues her young 
charge was so rapidly acquiring. One day, when Eve had 
been maintaining an animated and laughing discourse in 
Italian with her instructress, Nanny, unable to command 
herself, had actually caught the child to her bosom, and, 
bursting into tears, implored her not to estrange herself 
entirely from her poor old nurse. The caresses and solici 
tations of Eve soon brought the good woman to a sense of 
her weakness ; but the natural feeling was so strong, that 
it required years of close observation to reconcile her to the 
thousand ..excellent qualities of Mademoiselle Viefville, the 
lady to whose superintendence the education of Miss Effing- 
ham had been finally confided. 

This Mademoiselle Viefville was also among the passen 
gers, and was the one other person who now occupied the 
cabins in common with Eve and her friends. She was the 
daughter of a French officer who had fallen in Napoleon s 
campaigns, had been educated at one of those admirable 
establishments which form points of relief in the ruthless 
history of the conqueror, and had now lived long enough 
to have educated two young persons, the last of whom was 
Eve Effingham. Twelve years of close communion with 
2 


14 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

her eUve had created sufficient attachment to cause her to 
yield to the solicitations of the father to accompany his 
daughter to America, and to continue witn her during the 
first year of her probation, in a state of society that the lat 
ter felt must be altogether novel to a young woman edu 
cated as his own child had been. 

So much has been written and said of French govern 
esses, that we shall not anticipate the subject, but leave this 
lady to speak and act for herself in the course of the nar 
rative. Neither is it our intention to be very minute in 
these introductory remarks concerning any of our charac 
ters ; but having thus traced their outlines, we shall return 
again to the incidents as they occurred, trusting to make 
the reader better acquainted with all the parties as we pro 
ceed. 


CHAPTER II. 


Ix&amp;gt;rd Cram and Lord Vultur, 
Sir Brandish O Cultur, 
With Marshal Carouzer, 
And old Lady Mouser. 

BATH GUIDE. 


THE assembling of the passengers of a packet-ship is at 
all times a matter of interest to the parties concerned. 
During the western passage in particular, which can never 
safely be set down at less than a month, there is the pros 
pect of being shut up r or the whole of that period, within 
the narrow compass of a ship, with those whom chance has 
brought together, influenced by all the accidents and ca 
prices of personal character, and a difference of nations, 
conditions in life, and education. The quarter-deck, it is 
true, forms a sort of local distinction, and the poor creatures 
in the steerage seem the rejected of Providence for the time 
being ; but all who know life will readily comprehend that 
the ptle-mtle of the cabins can seldom offer anything very 
enticing to people of refinement and taste. Against this, 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 15 

evil, however, there is one particular source of relief; most 
persons feeling a disposition to yield to the circumstances in 
which they are placed, with the laudable and convenient de 
sire to render others comfortable, in order that they may be 
made comfortable themselves. 

A man of the world and a gentleman, Mr. Effingham had 
looked forward to this passage with a good deal of concern, 
on account of his daughter, while he shrank with the sen 
sitiveness of his habits from the necessity of exposing one 
of her delicacy and plastic simplicity to the intercourse of 
a ship. Accompanied by Mademoiselle Viefville, watched 
over by Nanny, and guarded by himself and his kinsman, 
he had lost some of his apprehensions on the subject 
during the three probationary days, and now took his stand 
in the centre of his own party to observe the new arrivals, 
with something of the security of a man who is entrenched 
in his own door-way. 

The place they occupied, at a window of the hurricane- 
house, did not admit of a view of the water ; but it was 
sufficiently evident from the preparations in the gangway 
next the land, that boats were so near as to render that 
unnecessary. 

&quot; Genus, cockney ; species, bagman,&quot; muttered John 
Effingham, as the first arrival touched the deck. &quot; That 
worthy has merely exchanged the basket of a coach for the 
deck of a packet ; we may now learn the price of buttons.&quot; 

It did not require a naturalist to detect the species of the 
stranger, in truth ; though John Effingham had been a little 
more minute in his description than was warranted by the 
fact. The person in question was one of those mercantile 
agents that England scatters so profusely over the world, 
some of whom have all the most sterling qualities of their 
nation, though a majority, perhaps, are a little disposed to 
mistake the value of other people as well as their own. 
This was the genus, as John Effingham had expressed it ; 
but the species will best appear on dissection. The master 
of the ship saluted this person cordially, and as an old ac 
quaintance, by the name of Monday. 

&quot; A mousquetaire resuscitated,&quot; said Mademoiselle Vief 
ville, in her broken English, as one who had come in the 


16 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

same boat as the first-named, thrust his whiskered and mas- 
tachoed visage above the rail of the gangway. 

&quot; More probably a barber, who has converted his own 
head into a wig-block,&quot; growled John Effingham. 

&quot;It cannot, surely, be Wellington in disguise!&quot; added 
Mr. Effingham, with a sarcasm of manner that was quite 
unusual for him. 

&quot; Or a peer of the realm in his robes !&quot; whispered Eve, 
who was much amused with the elaborate toilet of the sub 
ject of their remarks, who descended the ladder supported 
by a sailor, and, after speaking to the master, was formally- 
presented to his late boat-companion, as Sir George Tern- 
plemore. The two bustled together about the quarter-deck 
for a few minutes, using eye-glasses, which led them into 
several scrapes, by causing them to hit their legs against 
sundry objects they might otherwise have avoided, though 
both were much too high-bred to betray feelings or fancied 
they were, which answered the same purpose. 

After these flourishes, the new comers descended to the 
cabin in company, not without pausing to survey the party 
in the hurricane-house, more especially Eve, who, to old 
Ann s great scandal, was the subject of their manifest and 
almost avowed admiration and observation. 

&quot; One is rather glad to have such a relief against the 
tediousness of a sea-passage,&quot; said Sir George as they 
went down the ladder. &quot; No doubt you are used to this 
sort of thing, Mr. Monday ; but with me, it is voyage the 
first, that is, if I except the Channel and the seas one en 
counters in making the usual run on the Continent.&quot; 

&quot; Oh, dear me ! I go and come as regularly as the equi 
noxes, Sir George, which you know is quite, in rule, once 
a year. I call my passages the equinoxes, too, for I reli 
giously make it a practice to pass just twelve hours out of 
the twenty-four in my berth.&quot; 

This was the last the party on deck heard o-f the opinions 
of the two worthies, for the time being ; nor would they 
have been favoured with all this, had not Mr. Monday what 
he thought a rattling way with him, which caused him usu 
ally to speak in an octave above every one else. Although 
their voices were nearly mute, or rather lost to those above, 
they were heard knocking about in their state-rooms ; and 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 17 

Sir George, in particular, as frequently called out for the 
steward, by the name of &quot; Saunders,&quot; as Mr. Monday made 
similar appeals to the steward s assistant for succour, by the 
appropriate appellation of &quot; Toast.&quot; 

&quot; I think we may safely claim this person, at least, for a 
countryman,&quot; said John Effingharn : &quot; he is what I have 
heard termed an American in a European mask.&quot; 

&quot; The character is more ambitiously conceived than skil 
fully maintained,&quot; replied Eve, who had need of all her 
retenue of manner to abstain from laughing outright. &quot; Were 
I to hazard a conjecture, it would be to describe the gentle 
man as a collector of costumes, who had taken a fancy to 
exhibit an assortment of his riches on his own person. 
Mademoiselle Viefville, you, who so well understand cos 
tumes, may tell us from what countries the separate parts 
of that attire have been collected ?&quot; 

&quot; I can answer for the shop in Berlin where the travel 
ling cap was purchased,&quot; returned the amused governess; 
* in no other part of the world can a parallel be found.&quot; 

&quot;I should think, ma am,&quot; put in Nanny, with the quiet 
simplicity of her nature as well as of her habits, &quot; that the 
gentleman must have bought his boots in Paris, for they 
seem to pinch his feet, and all the Paris boots and shoes 
pinch one s feet, at least, all mine did.&quot; 

&quot; The watch-guard is stamped * Geneva, &quot; continued 
Eve. 

&quot; The coat comes from Frankfort : Jest une equivoque&quot; 

And the pipe from Dresden, Mademoiselle Viefville.&quot; 

&quot; The conchiglia savours of Rome, and the little chain 
annexed bespeaks the Rialto ; while the moustaches are 
anything but indigenes, and the tout ensemble the world : 
the man is travelled, at least.&quot; 

Eve s eyes sparkled with humour as she said this : while 
the new passenger, who had been addressed as Mr. Dodge, 
and as an old acquaintance also, by the captain, came so 
near them as to admit of no further comments. A short 
conversation between the two soon let the listeners into the 
secret that the traveller had come from America in the 
spring, whither, after having made the tour of Europe, he 
wa&amp;lt;* about to return in the autumn. 

&quot;Seen enough, ha!&quot; added the captain, with a friendly 
2* 


18 HOMEWARD BOUNIX 

rrod of the head, when the other had finished a brief 
mary of his proceedings in the eastern hemisphere. &quot; All 
eyes, and no leisure or inclination for more ?&quot; 

&quot; I ve seen as much as I warnt to see,&quot; returned the tra 
veller, with an emphasis on, and a pronunciation o/&quot;, the 
word we have italicised, that cannot be committed to paper, 
but which were eloquence itself on the subject of self-satis 
faction and self-knowledge. 

&quot; Well, that is the main point. When a man has got all 
he wants of a thing, any addition is like over-ballast. 
Whenever I can get fifteen knots out of the ship, I make it 
a point to be satisfied, especially under close-reefed topsails 
and on a taut bow-line.&quot; 

The traveller and the master nodded their heads at each 
other, like men who understood more than they expressed ; 
when the former, after inquiring with marked interest if his 
room-mate, Sir George Templemore, had arrived, went be 
low. An intercourse of three days had established some 
thing like an acquaintance between the latter and the pas 
sengers she had brought from the River, and turning his 
red quizzical face towards the ladies, he observed with in 
imitable gravity, 

&quot;There is nothing like understanding when one has 
enough, even if it be of knowledge. I never yet met with 
the navigator who found two l noons in the same day, that 
he was not in danger of shipwreck. Now I dare say, Mr. 
Dodge there, who has just gone below, has, as he says, 
seen all he warnts to see, and it is quite likely he knows 
more already than he can cleverly get along with. Let the 
people be getting the booms on the yards, Mr. Leach ; we 
shall be warnting to spread our wings before the end of the 
passage.&quot; 

As Captain Truck, though he often swore, seldom laugh 
ed, his mate gave the necessary order with a gravity equal 
to that with which it had been delivered to him ; and even 
the sailors went aloft to execute it with greater alacrity for 
an indulgence of humour that was peculiar to their trade, 
and which, as few understood it so well, none enjoyed so 
much as themselves. As the homeward-bound crew was 
the same as the outward-bound, and Mr. Dodge had come 
ibroad quite as green as he was now going home ripe, this 


HOMEWARD BOUND, 10 

traveller of six months finish did not escape divers com 
mentaries that literally cut him up &quot; from clew to ear-ring,&quot; 
and which flew about in the rigging much as active birds 
flutter from branch to branch in a tree. The subject of all 
this wit, however, remained profoundly, not to say happily, 
ignorant of the sensation he had produced, being occupied 
in disposing of the Dresden pipe, the Venetian chain, and 
the Roman conchiglia in his state-room, and in &quot; instituting 
an acquaintance,&quot; as he expressed it, with his room-mate, 
Sir George Templemore. 

&quot; We must surely have something better than this,&quot; ob 
served Mr. Effingham, &quot; for 1 observed that two of the state 
rooms in the main cabin are taken singly.&quot; 

In order that the general reader may understand this, it 
may be well to explain that the packet-ships have usually 
two berths in each state-room, but they who can afford to 
pay an extra charge are permitted to occupy the little apart 
ment singly. It js scarcely necessary to add, that persons 
of gentlemanly feeling, when circumstances will at all per 
mit, prefer economising in other things in order to live by 
themselves for the month usually consumed in the passage, 
since in nothing is refinement more plainly exhibited than 
in the reserve of personal habits. 

&quot; There is no lack of vulgar fools stirring with full pock 
ets,&quot; rejoined John Effingham ; &quot; the two rooms you men 
tion may have been taken by some yearling travellers, 
who are little better than the semi-annual savant who has 
just passed us.&quot; 

&quot; It is at least something, cousin Jack, fo have the wishes 
of a gentleman.&quot; 

&quot; It is something. Eve, though it end in wishes, or even 
in caricature.&quot; 

&quot; What are the names ?&quot; pleasantly asked Mademoiselle 
Viefville ; &quot; the names may be a clue to the characters.&quot; 

&quot; The papers pinned to the bed-curtains bear the antithe 
tical titles of Mr. Sharp and Mr. Blunt ; though it is quite 
probable the first is wanting of a letter or two by accident, 
and the last is merely a synonyme of the old nom de guerre 
Cash. &quot; 

&quot; Do persons, then, actually travel with borrowed names, 


20 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

in our days t&quot; asked Eve, with a little of the curiosity of 
the common mother whose name she bore. 

&quot; That do they, and with borrowed money too, as well 
as in other days. I dare say, however, these two co-voy 
agers of ours will come just as they are, in truth, Shaip 
enough, and Blunt enough.&quot; 

&quot; Are they Americans, think you?&quot; 

&quot; They ought to be ; both the qualities being thoroughly 
indigenes, as Mademoiselle Viefville would say.&quot; 

&quot; Nay, cousin John, I will bandy words with you no 
longer; for the last twelve months you have done little else 
than try to lessen the joyful anticipations with which I re 
turn to the home of my childhood.&quot; 

&quot; Sweet one, I would not willingly lessen one of thy 
young and generous pleasures by any of the alloy of my 
own bitterness ; but what wilt thou ? A little preparation 
for that which is as certain to follow as that the sun suc 
ceeds the dawn, will rather soften the disappointment thou 
art doomed to feel.&quot; 

Eve had only time to cast a look of affectionate gratitude 
towards him, for whilst he spoke tauntingly, he spoke 
with a feeling that her experience from childhood had taught 
her to appreciate, ere the arrival of another boat drew 
the common attention to the gangway. A call from the 
officer in attendance had brought the captain to the rail ; 
and his order &quot; to pass in the luggage of Mr. Sharp and 
Mr. Blunt,&quot; was heard by all near. 

&quot; Now for les indigenes&quot; whispered Mademoiselle Vief 
ville, with the nervous excitement that is a little apt to be 
tray a lively expectation in the gentler sex. 

Eve smiled, for there are situations in which trifles help 
to awaken interest, and the little that had just passed served 
to excite curiosity in the whole party. Mr. Effingham 
thought it a favourable symptom that the master, who had 
had interviews with all his passengers in London, walked 
to the gangway to receive the new-comers ; for a boat-load 
of the quarter-deck oi polloi had come on board a moment 
before without any other notice on his part than a general 
bow, with the usual order to receive their effects. 

&quot; The delay denotes Englishmen,&quot; the caustic John had 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 21 

time to throw in, before the silent arrangement at the gang- 
way was interrupted by the appearance of the passengers. 

The quiet smile of Mademoiselle Viefville, as the two 
travellers appeared on deck, denoted approbation, for her 
practised eye detected at a glance, that both were certainly 
gentlemen. Women are more purely creatures of conven 
tion in their way than men, their education inculcating 
nicer distinctions and discriminations than that of the other 
sex ; and Eve, who would have studied Sir George Tem- 
plemore and Mr. Dodge as she would have studied the ani 
mals of a caravan, or as creatures with whom she had no 
affinities, after casting a sly look of curiosity at the two 
who now appeared on deck, unconsciously averted her eyes 
like a well-bred young person in a drawing-room. 

&quot; They are indeed English,&quot; quietly remarked Mr. Ef- 
fingham ; &quot; but, out of question, English gentlemen.&quot; 

&quot; The one nearest appears to me to be Continental,&quot; an 
swered Mademoiselle Viefville, who had not felt the same 
impulse to avert her look as Eve; &quot;he is jamais Anglais!&quot; 

Eve stole a glance in spite of herself, and, with the intui 
tive penetration of a woman, intimated that she had come 
to the same conclusion. The two strangers were both tall, 
and decidedly gentleman-like young men, whose personal 
appearance would cause either to be remarked. The one 
whom the captain addressed as Mr. Sharp had the most 
youthful look, his complexion being florid, and his hair 
light ; though the other was altogether superior in outline 
of features as well as in expression ; indeed, Mademoiselle 
Viefville fancied she never saw a sweeter smile than that 
he gave on returning the salute of the deck ; there was 
more than the common expression of suavity and of the 
usual play of features in it, for it struck her as being 
thoughtful and as almost melancholy. His companion was 
gracious in his manner, and perfectly well toned ; but his 
demeanour had less of the soul of che man about it, partaking- 
more of the training of the social caste to which it belonged. 
These may seem to be nice distinctions for the circum 
stances ; but Mademoiselle Viefville had passed her life in 
good company, and under responsibilities that had rendered 
observation and judgment highly necessary, and particu 
larly observations of the other sex. 


82 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

Each of the strangers had a servant ; and while their 
luggage was passed up from the boat, they walked aft 
nearer to the hurricane-house, accompanied by the captain. 
Every American, who is not very familiar with the world 
appears to possess the mania of introducing. Captain 
Truck was no exception to the rule; for, while he was 
perfectly acquainted with a ship, and knew the etiquette of 
the quarter-deck to a hair, he got into blue water the mo 
ment he approached the finesse of deportment. He was 
exactly of that school of elegants who fancy drinking a 
glass of wine with another, and introducing, are touches of 
breeding; it being altogether beyond his comprehension 
that both have especial uses, and are only to be resorted to 
on especial occasions. Still, the worthy master, who had 
begun life on the forecastle, without any previous know 
ledge of usages, and who had imbibed the notion that 
&quot;manners make the man,&quot; taken in the narrow sense o&quot; 
the axiom, was a devotee of what he fancied to be good 
breeding, and one of his especial duties, as he imagined, in 
order to put his passengers at their ease, was to introduce 
them to each other; a proceed-ng which, it is hardly ne 
cessary to say, had just 2. contrary effect with the better 
class of them. 

&quot; You are acquainted, gentlemen ?&quot; he said, as the three 
approached the party in the hurricane-house. 

The two travellers endeavoured to look interested, while 
Mr. Sharp carelessly observed that they had met for the 
first time in the boat. This was delightful intelligence to 
Captain Truck, who did not lose a moment in turning it to 
account. Stopping short, Ke faced his companions, and, 
with a solemn wave of the hand, he went through the cere 
monial in which he most delighted, and in which he piqued 
himself at being an adept. 

&quot; Mr. Sharp, permit me to introduce you to Mr. Blunt; 
Mr. Blunt, let me make you acquainted with Mr. Sharp.&quot; 

The gentlemen, though taken a little by surprise at the 
dignity and formality of the captain, touched their hats 
civilly tc each other, and smiled. Eve, not a little amused 
at the scene, watched the whole procedure ; and then she 
too detected the sweet melancholy of the one expression, 
find the marble-like irony of the other. It may have been 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


this that caused her to staf t, though almost imperceptibly, 
and to colour. 

&quot; Our turn will come next,&quot; muttered John Effingham : 
&quot; get the grimaces ready.&quot; 

His conjecture was right ; for, hearing his voice without 
understanding the words, the captain followed up his ad 
vantage to his own infinite gratification. 

&quot; Gentlemen, Mr. Effingham, Mr. John Effingham&quot; 
(every one soon came to make this distinction in addressing 
the cousins) &quot;Miss Effingham, Mademoiselle Viefville : 
Mr. Sharp, Mr. Blunt, ladies ; gentlemen, Mr. Blunt, 
Mr. Sharp.&quot; 

The dignified bow of Mr. Effingham, as well as the faint 
and distant smile of Eve, would have repelled any undue 
familiarity in men of less tone than either of the strangers, 
both of whom received the unexpected honour like those 
who felt themselves to be intruders. As Mr. Sharp raised 
his hat to Eve, however, he held it suspended a moment 
above his head, and then dropping his arm to its full length, 
he bowed with profound respect, though distantly. Mr. 
Blunt was less elaborate in his salute, but as pointed as the 
circumstances at all required. Both gentlemen were a little 
struck with the distant hauteur of John Effingham, whose 
bow, while it fulfilled all the outward forms, was what Eve 
ased laughingly to term &quot; imperial.&quot; The bustle of pre 
paration, and the certainty that there would be no want 
of opportunities to renew the intercourse, prevented more 
than the general salutations, and the new-comers descended 
to their state-rooms. 

&quot; Did you remark the manner in which those people took 
my introduction ?&quot; asked Captain Truck of his chief mate, 
whom he was training up in the ways of packet-politeness, 
as one in the road of preferment. &quot;Now, to my notion, 
they might have shook hands at least. That s what I call 
Vattel.&quot; 

&quot; One sometimes falls in with what are rum chaps,&quot; re 
turned the other, who, from following the London trade, had 
caught a few cockneyisms. &quot; If a man chooses to keep his 
hands in the beckets, why let him, say I ; but I take it as 
a slight to the company to sheer out of the usual track in 
such matters.&quot; 


24 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; I was thinking as much myself; but after all, what can 
packet-masters do in such a case 1 We can set luncheon 
and dinner before the passengers, but we can t make them 
eat. Now, my rule is, when a gentleman introduces me, to 
do the thing handsomely, and to return shake for shake, if it 
is three times three ; but as for a touch of the beaver, it is like 
setting a top-gallant sail in passing a ship at sea, and means 
just nothing at all. Who would know a vessel because he 
has let run his halyards and swayed the yard up again ? 
One would do as much to a Turk for manners sake. No, 

no ! there is something in this, and, d me, just to make 

sure of it, the first good opportunity that offers, I ll ay, 
I ll just introduce them all over again! Let the people ship 
their handspikes, Mr. Leach, and heave in the slack of the 
chain. Ay, ay ! I ll take an opportunity when all hands 
are on deck, and introduce them, ship-shape, one by one, as 
your greenhorns go through a lubber s-hole, or we shall 
have no friendship during the passage.&quot; 

The mate nodded approbation, as if the othei had hit 
upon the right expedient, and then he proceeded to obey the 
orders, while the cares of his vessel soon drove the subject 
temporarily from the mind of his commander. 


CHAPTER III. 


By all description, this should be the place. 

Who s here ? Speak, ho ! No answer ! What is this ? 

TrMON OF ATHENS 

A SHIP with her sails loosened and her ensign abroad is 
always a beautiful object ; and the Montauk, a noble New- 
York-built vessel of seven hundred torts burthen, was a 
first-class specimen of the &quot; kettle-bottom&quot; school of naval 
architecture, wanting in nothing that the taste and expe 
rience of the day can supply. The scene that was now 
acting before their eyes therefore soon diverted the thoughts 
of Mademoiselle Viefville and Eve from the introductiona 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


of the captain, both watching with intense interest the va 
rious movements of the crew and passengers as they passed 
in review. 

A crowd of well-dressed, but of an evidently humbler 
class of persons than those farther aft, were thronging the 
gangways, little dreaming of the physical suffering they 
were to endure before they reached the land of promise, 
that distant America, towards which the poor and oppressed 
of nearly all nations turn longing eyes in quest of a shel 
ter. Eve saw with wonder aged men and women among 
them ; beings who were about to sever most of the ties of 
the world in order to obtain relief from the physical pains 
and privations that had borne hard on them for more than 
threescore years. A few had made sacrifices of themselves 
in obedience to that mysterious instinct which man feels in 
his offspring ; while others, again, went rejoicing, flushed 
with the hope of their vigour and youth. Some, the vic 
tims of their vices, had embarked in the idle expectation 
that a change of scene, with increased means of indulgence, 
could produce a healthful change of character. All had 
views that the truth would have dimmed, and, perhaps, no 
single adventurer among the emigrants collected in that ship 
entertained either sound or reasonable notions of the mode 
in which his step was to be rewarded, though many may 
meet with a success that will surpass their brightest picture 
of the future. More, no doubt, were to be disappointed. 

Reflections something like these passed through the mind 
of Eve Effingham, as she examined the mixed crowd, in 
which some were busy in receiving stores from boats ; others 
in holding party conferences with friends, in which a few 
were weeping ; here and there a group was drowning re 
flection in the parting cup ; while wondering children look 
ed up with anxiety into the well-known faces, as if fearful 
they might lose the countenances they loved, and the chari 
ties on which they habitually relied, in such a melee. 

Although the stern discipline which separates the cabin 
and steerage passengers into castes as distinct as those of 
the Hindoos had not yet been established, Captain Truck 
had too profound a sense of his duty to permit the quarter 
deck to be unceremoniously invaded. This part of the 
ship, then, had partiaiy escaped the confusion of the mo- 


26 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

ment; though trunks, boxes, hampers, and other similar 
appliances of travelling, were scattered about in tolerable 
affluence. Profiting by the space, of which there was still 
sufficient for the purpose, most of the party left the hurri 
cane-house to enjoy the short walk that a ship affords. At 
that instant, another boat from the land reached the vessel s 
side, and a grave- looking personage, who was not disposed 
to lessen his dignity by levity or an omission of forms, ap 
peared on deck, where he demanded to be shown the mas 
ter. An introduction was unnecessary in this instance ; for 
Captain Truck no sooner saw his visiter than he recognized 
the well-known features and solemn pomposity of a civil 
officer of Portsmouth, who was often employed to search 
the American packets, in pursuit of delinquents of all de 
grees of crime and folly. 

&quot; I had just come to the opinion I was not to have the 
pleasure of seeing you this passage, Mr. Grab,&quot; said the 
captain, shaking hands familiarly with the myrmidon of the 
law; &quot;but the turn of the tide is not more regular than 
you gentlemen who come in the name of the king. Mr. 
Grab, Mr. Dodge; Mr. Dodge, Mr. Grab. And now, to 
what forgery, or bigamy, or elopement, or scandalum mag- 
natum, do I owe the honour of your company this time 1 
Sir George Templemore, Mr. Grab ; Mr. Grab, Sir George 
Templemore.&quot; 

Sir George bowed with the dignified aversion an honest 
man might be supposed to feel for one of the other s em 
ployment ; while Mr. Grab looked gravely and with a coun 
ter dignity at Sir George. The business of the officer, 
however, was with none in the cabin; but he had come in 
quest of a young woman who had married a suitor rejected 
by her uncle, an arrangement that was likely to subject 
the latter to a settlement of accounts which he found incon 
venient, and which he had thought it prudent to anticipate 
by bringing an action of debt against the bridegroom for 
advances, real or pretended, made to the wife during her 
nonage. A dozen eager ears caught an outline of this tale 
as it was communicated to the captain, and in an incredibly 
short space of time it was known throughout the ship, with 
not a few embellishments. 

&quot; I do not know the person of the husband,&quot; continued 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 27 

the officer, &quot; nor indeed does the attorney who is with me 
in the boat ; but his name is Robert Davis, and you can 
have no difficulty in pointing him out. We know him to 
be in the ship.&quot; 

&quot; I never introduce any steerage passengers, my dear 
sir ; and there is no such person in the cabin, I give you 
my honour, and that is a pledge that must pass between 
gentlemen like us. You are welcome to search, but the 
duty of the vessel must go on. Take your man but do 
not detain the ship. Mr. Sharp, Mr. Grab ; Mr. Grab, Mr. 
Sharp. Bear a hand there, Mr. Leach, and let us have the 
slack of the chain as soon as possible.&quot; 

There appeared to be what the philosophers call the 
attraction of repulsion between the parties last introduced, 
for the tall gentlemanly-looking Mr. Sharp eyed the officer 
with a supercilious coldness, neither party deeming much 
ceremony on the occasion necessary. Mr. Grab now sum 
moned his assistant, the attorney, from the boat, and there 
was a consultation between them as to their further pro 
ceedings. Fifty heads were grouped around them, and 
curious eyes watched their smallest movements, one of the 
crowd occasionally disappearing to report proceedings. 

Man is certainly a clannish animal ; for without knowing 
any thing of the merits of the case, without pausing to 
inquire into the right or the wrong of the matter, in the 
pure spirit of partisanship, every man, woman, and child 
of the steerage, which contained fully a hundred souls, took 
sides against the law, and enlisted in the cause of the de 
fendant. All this was done quietly, however, for no one 
menaced or dreamed of violence, crew and passengers 
usually taking their cues from the officers of the vessel on 
such occasions, and those of the Montauk understood too 
well the rights of the public agents to commit themselves in 
the matter. 

&quot;Call Robert Davis,&quot; said the officer, resorting to a ruse, 
by affecting an authority he had no right to assume. &quot; Ro 
bert Davis !&quot; echoed twenty voices, among which was that 
of the bridegroom himself who was nigh to discover his 
secret by an excess of zeal. It was easy to call, but no 
one answered. 

11 Can you tell me which is Robert Davis, my little fel- 


28 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

low?&quot; the officer asked coaxingly, of a fine flaxen-headed 
boy, whose age did not exceed ten, and who was a curious 
spectator of what passed. &quot; Tell me which is Robert Da 
vis, and I will give you a sixpence.&quot; 

The child knew, but professed ignorance. 

&quot; C est un esprit de corps admirable /&quot; exclaimed Made- 
moiselle Viefville ; for the interest of the scene had brought 
nearly all on board, with the exception of those employed 
in the duty of the vessel, near the gangway. &quot; Ceci est 
delicieux, and I could devour that boy !&quot; 

What rendered this more odd, or indeed absolutely ludi 
crous, was the circumstance that, by a species of le gerde- 
main, a whisper had passed among the spectators so stealth 
ily, and yet so soon, that the attorney and his companion 
were the only two on deck who remained ignorant of the 
person of the man they sought. Even the children caught 
the clue, though they had the art to indulge their natural 
curiosity by glances so sly as to escape detection. 

Unfortunately, the attorney had sufficient knowledge 
of the family of the bride to recognize her by a general 
resemblance, rendered conspicuous as it was by a pallid face 
and an almost ungovernable nervous excitement. He 
pointed her out to the officer, who ordered her to approach 
him, a command that caused her to burst into tears. The 
agitation and distress of his wife were near proving too 
much for the prudence of the young husband, who was 
making an impetuous movement towards her, when the 
strong grasp of a fellow-passenger checked him in time to 
prevent discovery. It is singular how much is understood 
by trifles when the mind has a clue to the subject, and how 
often signs, that are palpable as day, are overlooked when 
suspicion is not awakened, or when the thoughts have ob 
tained a false direction. The attorney and the officer 
were the only two present who had not seen the indiscre. 
tion of the young man, and who did not believe him 
betrayed. His wife trembled to a degree that almost de 
stroyed the ability to stand ; but, casting an imploring look 
for self-command on her indiscreet partner, she controlled 
her own distress, and advanced towards the officer, in obe 
dience to his order, with a power of endurance that the 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 29 

strong affections of a woman could alone enable her to 
assume. 

&quot; If the husband will not deliver himself p, I shall be 
compelled to order the wife to be carried ashore in his 
stead !&quot; the attorney coldly remarked, while he applied a 
pinch of snuff to a nose that was already saffron-coloured 
from the constant use of the weed. 

A pause succeeded this ominous declaration, and the 
crowd of passengers betrayed dismay, for all believed there 
was now no hope for the pursued. The wife bowed her 
head to her knees, for she had sunk on a box as if to hide 
the sight of her husband s arrest. At this moment a voice 
spoke from among the group on the quarter-deck. 

&quot; Is this an arrest for crime, or a demand for debt V 
asked the young man who has been announced as Mr. 
Blunt. 

There was a quiet authority in the speaker s manner that 
reassured the failing hopes of the passengers, while it caused 
the attorney and his companion to look round in surprise, 
and perhaps a little in resentment. A dozen eager voices 
assured &quot; the gentleman&quot; there was no crime in the matter 
at all there was even no just debt, but it was a villanous 
scheme to compel a wronged ward to release a fraudulent 
guardian from his liabilities. Though all this was not very 
clearly explained, it was affirmed with so much zeal and 
energy as to awaken suspicion, and to increase the interest 
of the more intelligent portion of the spectators. The 
attorney surveyed the travelling dress, the appearance of 
fashion, and the youth of his interrogator, whose years 
could not exceed fiye-and-twenty, arid his answer was given 
with an air of superiority. 

&quot; Debt or crime, it can matter nothing in the eye of the 
law.&quot; 

&quot; It matters much in the view of an honest man,&quot; re 
turned the youth with spirit. &quot; One might hesitate about 
interfering in behalf of a rogue, however ready to exert 
himself in favour of one who is innocent, perhaps, of every 
thing but misfortune.&quot; 

&quot;&quot;This looks a little like an attempt at a rescue ! I hope 
we are still in England, and under the protection of English 
laws?&quot; 

3* 


30 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; No doubt at all of that, Mr. Seal,&quot; put in the captain, 
who having kept an eye on the officer from a distance, now 
thought it time to interfere, in order to protect the interests 
of his owners. &quot; Yonder is England, and that is the Isle 
of Wight, and the Montauk has hold of an English Bottom, 
and good anchorage rt is ; no one means to dispute your 
authority, Mr. Attorney, nor to call in question that of the 
king. Mr. Blunt merely throws out a suggestion, sir ; or 
rather, a distinction between rogues and hones* men ; 
nothing more, depend on it, sir. Mr. Seal, Mr. Blunt ; Mr. 
Blunt, ^Mr. Seal. And a thousand pities it is, that the dis 
tinction is not more commonly made.&quot; 

The young man bowed slightly, and with a face flushed, 
partly with feeling, and partly at finding himself unexpect 
edly conspicuous among so many strangers, he advanced a 
little from the quarter-deck group, like one who feels he is 
required to maintain the ground he has assumed. 

&quot; No one can be disposed to question the supremacy of 
the English laws in this roadstead,&quot; he said, &quot; and least of 
all myself; but you will permit me to doubt the legality of 
arresting, or in any manner detaining, a wife in virtue of a 
process issued against the husband.&quot; 

&quot; A briefless barrister !&quot; muttered Seal to Grab. &quot; I dare 
say a timely guinea would have silenced the fellow. What 
is now to be done ?&quot; 

&quot; The lady must go ashore, and all these matters can be 
arranged before a magistrate.&quot; 

&quot; Ay, ay ! let her sue out a habeas corpus if she please,&quot; 
added the ready attorney, whom a second survey caused to 
distrust his first inference. &quot; Justice is blind in England 
as well as in other countries, and is liable to mistakes ; but 
still she is just. If she does mistake sometimes, she is 
always ready to repair the wrong.&quot; 

&quot;Cannot you do something here?&quot; Eve involuntarily 
half- whispered to Mr. Sharp, who stood at her elbow. 

This person started on hearing her voice making this 
sudden appeal, and glancing a look of intelligence at her, 
he smiled and moved nearer to the principal parties. 

&quot; Really, Mr. Attorney,&quot; he commenced, &quot; this appears 
to be rather irregular, I must confess, quite out of the 
ordinary way, and it may lead to unpleasant consequences.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 31 

&quot; In what manner, sir ?&quot; interrupted Seal, measuring the 
other s ignorance at a glance. 

&quot; Why, irregular in form, if not in principle. I am 
aware that the habeas corpus is all-essential, and that the 
law must have its way ; but really this does seem a little 
irregular, not to describe it by any harsher term.&quot; 

Mr. Seal treated this new appeal respectfully, in appear 
ance at least, for he saw it was made by one greatly his 
superior, while he felt an utter contempt for it in essentials, 
as he perceived intuitively that this new intercession was 
made in a profound ignorance of the subject. As respects 
Mr. Blunt, however, he had an unpleasant distrust of the 
result, the quiet manner of that gentleman denoting more 
confidence in himself, and a greater practical knowledge of 
the laws. Still, to try the extent of the other s information, 
and the strength of his nerves, he rejoined in a magisterial 
and menacing tone 

&quot; Yes, let the lady sue out a writ of habeas corpus if 
wrongfully arrested ; and I should be glad to discover the 
foreigner who will dare to attempt a rescue in old England, 
and in defiance of English laws.&quot; 

It is probable Paul Blunt would have relinquished his in 
terference, from an apprehension that he might be igno- 
rantly aiding the evil-doer, but for this threat ; and even the 
threat might not have overcome his prudence, had not he 
caught the imploring look of the fine blue eyes of Eve. 

&quot; All are not necessarily foreigners who embark on 
board an American ship at an English port,&quot; he said 
steadily, &quot; nor is justice denied those that are. The habeas 
corpus is as well understood in other countries as in this, 
for happily we live in an age when neither liberty nor 
knowledge is exclusive. If an attorney, you must know 
yourself that you cannot legally arrest a wife for a hus 
band, and that what you say of the habeas corpus is little 
worthy of attention.&quot; 

&quot; We arrest, and whoever interferes with an officer in 
charge of a prisoner is guilty of a rescue. Mistakes must 
be rectified by the magistrates.&quot; 

&quot; True, provided the officer has warranty for what he 
does.&quot; 


32 HOMEWARD BOUWD. 

&quot; Writs and warrants may contain errors, but an i real 
is an arrest,&quot; growled Grab. 

&quot; Not the arrest of a woman for a man. In such a case 
there is design, and not a mistake. If this frightened wife 
will take counsel from me, she will refuse to accompany 
you.&quot; 

&quot; At her peril, let her dare do so !&quot; 

&quot; At your peril do you dare to attempt forcing her from 
the ship !&quot; 

&quot; Gentlemen, gentlemen ! let there be no misunder 
standing, I pray you,&quot; interposed the captain. &quot; Mr. 
Blunt, Mr. Grab ; Mr. Grab, Mr. Blunt. No warm words, 
gentlemen, I beg of you. But the tide is beginning to 
serve, Mr. Attorney, and time and tide, you know If 
we stay here much longer, the Montauk may be forced to 
sail on the 2d, instead of the 1st, as has been advertised in 
both hemispheres. I should be sorry to carry you to sea, 
gentlemen, without your small stores; and as for the cabin, 
it is as full as a lawyer s conscience. No remedy but the 
steerage in such a case. Lay forward, men, and heave 
away. Some of you, man the fore-top-sail halyards. We 
are as regular as our chronometers; the 1st, 10th, and 
20th, without fail.&quot; 

There was some truth, blended with a little poetry, in 
Captain Truck s account of the matter. The tide had in 
deed made in his favour, but the little wind there was blew 
directly into the roadstead, and had not his feelings become 
warmed by the distress of a pretty and interesting young 
woman, it is more than probable the line would have in 
curred the disgrace of having a ship sail on a later day 
than had been advertised. As it was, however, he had 
the matter up in earnest, and he privately assured Sir 
George and Mr. Dodge, if the affair were not immediately 
disposed of, he should carry both the attorney and officer 
to sea with him, and that he did not feel himself bound to 
furnish either with water. &quot; They may catch a little rain, 
by wringing their jackets,&quot; he added, with a wink ; &quot;though 
October is a dryish month in the American seas.&quot; 

The decision of Paul Blunt would have induced the at 
torney and his companion to relinquish their pursuit but 
for two circumstances. They had both undertaken .the 


HOMEWARD BOOffD. 33 

job as a speculation, or on the principle of &quot; no play, no 
pay,&quot; and all their trouble would be lost without success. 
Then the very difficulty that occurred had been foreseen, 
and while the officer proceeded to the shi| , the uncle had 
been busily searching for a son on shore, to send off to 
identify the husband, a step that would have been earlier 
resorted to could the young man have been found. This 
son was a rejected suitor, and he was now seen, by the aid 
of a glass that Mr. Grab always carried, pulling towards 
the Montauk, in a two-oared boat, with as much zeal as 
malignancy and disappointment could impart. His dis 
tance from the ship was still considerable ; but a peculiar 
hat, with the aid of the glass, left no doubt of his identity. 
The attorney pointed out the boat to the officer, and the 
latter, after a look through the glass, gave a nod of appro 
bation. Exultation overcame the usual wariness of the at 
torney, for his pride, too, had got to be enlisted in the suc 
cess of his speculation, men being so strangely constituted 
as often to feel as much joy in the accomplishment of 
schemes that are unjustifiable, as in the accomplishment of 
those of which they may have reason to be proud. 

On the other hand, the passengers and people of the 
packet seized something near the truth, with that sort of 
instinctive readiness which seems to characterize bodies of 
men in moments of excitement. That the solitary boat 
which was pulling towards them in the dusk of the evening 
contained some one who might aid the attorney and his 
myrmidon, all believed, though in what manner none could 
tell 

Between all seamen and the ministers of the law there is 
a long-standing antipathy, for the visits of the latter are usu 
ally so timed as to leave nothing between the alternatives 
of paying or of losing a voyage. It was soon apparent, 
then, that Mr. Seal had little to expect from the apathy of 
the crew, for never did men work with better will to get a 
ship loosened from the bottom. 

All this feeling manifested itself in a silent and intelligent 
activity rather than in noise or bustle, for every man on 
board exercised his best faculties, as well as his best good 
will and strength ; the clock-work ticks of the palls of the 
windlass resembling those of a watch tha had got the start 


34 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

of time, while the chain came in with surges of half a 
fathom at each heave. 

&quot; Lay hold of this rope, men,&quot; cried Mr. Leach, placing 
the end of the main-topsail halyards in the hands of half-a- 
dozen athletic steerage passengers, who had all the incli 
nation in the world to be doing, though uncertain where to 
lay their hands ; &quot; lay hold, and run away with it.&quot; 

The second mate performed the same feat forward, and 
as the sheets had never been started, the broad folds of the 
Montauk s canvas began to open, even while the men were 
heaving at the anchor. These exertions quickened the 
blood in the veins of those who were not employed, until 
even the quarter-deck passengers began to experience the 
excitement of a chase, in addition to the feelings of com 
passion. Captain Truck was silent, but very active in 
preparations. Springing to the wheel, he made its spokes 
fly until he had forced the helm hard up, when he uncere 
moniously gave it to John Effingham to keep there. His 
next leap was to the foot of the mizen-mast, where, after a 
few energetic efforts alone, he looked over his shoulder and 
beckoned for aid. 

&quot; Sir George Templemore, mizen-topsail -halyards ; mi- 
zen-topsail-halyards, Sir George Templemore,&quot; muttered 
the eager master, scarce knowing what he said. &quot;Mr. 
Dodge, now is the time to show that your name and nature 
are not identical.&quot; 

In short, nearly all on board were busy, and, thanks to 
the hearty good will of the officers, stewards, cooks, and a 
few of the hands that could be spared from the windlass, 
busy in a way to spread sail after sail with a rapidity little 
short of that seen on board of a vessel of war. The rat 
tling of the clew-garnet blocks, as twenty lusty fellows ran 
forward with the tack of the mainsail, and the hauling for 
ward of braces, was the signal that the ship was clear of 
the ground, and coming under command. 

A cross current had superseded the necessity of casting 
the vessel, but her sails took the light air nearly abeam ; 
the captain understanding that motion was of much more 
importance just then than direction. No sooner did he 
perceive by the bubbles that floated past, or rather appeared 
to float past, that his ship was dividing the water forward, 


HOMEWARD BOUND 35 

than he called a trusty man to the wheel, relieving John 
Effingham from his watch. The next instant, Mr. Leach 
reported the anchor catted and fished. 

&quot; Pilot, you will be responsible for this if my prisoners 
escape,&quot; said Mr. Grab menacingly. &quot; You know my er 
rand, and it is your duty to aid the ministers of the law.&quot; 

&quot; Harkee, Mr. Grab,&quot; put in the master, who had warmed 
himself with the exercise ; &quot; we all know, and we all do our 
duties, on board the Montauk. It is your duty to take 
Robert Davis on shore if you can find him ; and it is my 
duty to take the Montauk to America : now, if you will 
receive counsel from a well-wisher, I would advise you to 
see that you do not go in her. No one offers any impedi 
ment to your performing your office, and I ll thank you to 
offer me none in performing mine. Brace the yards further 
forward, boys, and let the ship come up to the wind.&quot; 

As there were logic, useful information, law, and seaman 
ship united in this reply, the attorney began to betray un 
easiness ; for by this time the ship had gathered so much 
way as to render it exceedingly doubtful whether a two- 
oared boat would be able to come up with her, without the 
consent of those on board. It is probable, as evening had 
already closed, and the rays of the moon were beginning 
to quiver on the ripple of the water, that he would have 
abandoned his object, though with infinite reluctance, had 
not Sir George Templemore pointed out to the captain a 
six-oared boat, that was pulling towards them from a quar 
ter that permitted it to be seen in the moonlight. 

&quot; That appears to be a man-of-war s cutter,&quot; observed 
the baronet uneasily, for by this time all on board felt a 
sort of personal interest in their escape. 

&quot; It does indeed, Captain Truck,&quot; added the pilot ; &quot;and 
if she make a signal, it will become my duty to heave-to 
the Montauk.&quot; 

&quot; Then bundle out of her, my fine fellow, as fast as you 
can ; for not a brace or a bowline shall be touched here, 
with my consent, for any such purpose. The ship is 
cleared my hour is come my passengers are on board 
and America is my haven. Let them that want me, catch 
me. That is what I call Vattel.&quot; 

The pilot and the master of the Montauk were excellent 


36 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

friends, and jnderstood each other perfectly, even white tha 
former was making the most serious professions of duty. 
The beat was hauled up, and, first whispering a few cau 
tions about the shoals and the currents, the worthy marine 
guide leaped into it, and was soon seen floating astern a 
cheering proof that the ship had got fairly in motion. As 
he fell out of hearing in the wake of the vessel, the honest 
fellow kept calling out &quot; to tack in season.&quot; 

&quot; If you wish to try the speed of your boat against that 
of the pilot, Mr. Grab,&quot; called out the captain, &quot; you will 
never have a better opportunity. It is a fine night for a 
regatta, and I will stand you a pound on Mr. Handlead s 
heels. For that matter, I would as soon trust his head, or 
his bpnds, in the bargain.&quot; 

Tne officer continued obstinately on board, for he saw 
that the six-oared boat was coming up with the ship, and, 
as he well knew the importance to his client of compelling 
a settlement of the accounts, he fancied some succour might 
be expected in that quarter. In the mean time, this new 
movement on the part of their pursuers attracted general 
attention, and, as might be expected, the interest of this 
little incident increased the excitement that usually accom 
panies a departure for a long sea- voyage, fourfold. Men 
and women forgot their griefs and leave-takings in anxiety, 
and in that pleasure which usually attends agitation of the 
mind that does not proceed from actual misery of our own. 


CHAPTER IV. 


Whither away so fast? 

O God save you ! 

Even to the hall to hear what shall become 
Of the great Duke of Buckingham. 

HENRY VTIl 


THE assembling of the passengers of the large packet- 
ship is necessarily an affair of coldness and distrust, espe 
cially with those who know the world, and more particu- 


HOMEWARD BOUSTD- 


larly still when the passage is from Europe to America. 
The greater sophistication of the old than of the new hem 
isphere, with its consequent shifts and vices, the knowledge 
that the tide of emigration sets westward, and that few 
abandon the home of their youth unless impelled by mis 
fortune at least, with other obvious causes, unite to produce 
this distinction. Then come the fastidiousness of habits, the 
sentiments of social castes, the refinements of breeding, and 
the reserves of dignity of character, to be put in close col 
lision with bustling egotism, ignorance of usages, an ab 
sence of training, and downright vulgarity of thought and 
practices. Although necessity soon brings these chaotic 
elements into something like order, the first week commonly 
passes in reconnoitring, cool civilities, and cautious conces 
sions, to yield at length to the never-dying charities ; un 
less, indeed, the latter may happen to be kept in abeyance 
by a downright quarrel, about midnight carousals, a squeak- 
in^ fiddle, or some incorrigible snorer. 

Happily, the party collected in the Montauk had the good 
fortune to abridge the usual probation in courtesies, by the 
stirring events of the night on which they sailed. Two 
hours had scarcely elapsed since the last passenger crossed 
the gangway, and yet the respective circles of the quarter 
deck and steerage felt more sympathy with each other than 
the boasted human charities ordinarily quicken in days of 
common-place intercourse. They had already found out 
each other s names, thanks to the assiduity of Captain 
Truck, who had stolen time, in the midst of all his activity, 
to make half-a-dozen more introductions, and the Ameri 
cans of the less trained class were already using them as 
freely as if they were old acquaintances. We say Ameri 
cans, for the cabins of these ships usually contain a con 
gress of nations, though the people of England, and of her 
ci-devant colonies, of course predominate in those of the 
London lines. On the present occasion, the last two were 
nearly balanced in numbers, so far as national character 
could be made out; opinion (which, as might be expected, 
had been busy the while,) being suspended in reference to 
Mr. Blunt, and one or two others whom the captain called 
&quot; foreigners,&quot; to distinguish them from the Anglo-Saxon 
Btock. 

4 


38 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

This equal distribution of forces might, under other cir 
cumstances, have led to a division in leeling; for the con 
flicts between American and British opinions, coupled with 
a difference in habits, are a prolific source of discontent in 
the cabins of packets. The American is apt to fancy him 
self at home, under the flag of his country j while his 
Transatlantic kinsman is strongly addicted to fancying that 
when he has fairly paid his money, he has a right to em 
bark all his prejudices with his other luggage. 

The affair of the attorney and the newly-married couple, 
however, was kept quite distinct from all feelings of na 
tionality ; the English apparently entertaining quite as 
lively a wish that the latter might escape from the fangs 
of the law, as any other portion of the passengers. The 
parties themselves were British, and although the authority 
evaded was of the same origin, right or wrong, all on board 
had taken up the impression that it was improperly exer 
cised. Sir George Templemore, the Englishman of highest 
rank, was decidedly of this way of thinking, an opinion 
he was rather warm in expressing, and the example of a 
baronet had its weight, not only with most of his own 
countrymen, but with not a few of the Americans also. 
The Effingham party, together with Mr. Sharp and Mr. 
Blunt, were, indeed, all who seemed to be entirely indif 
ferent to Sir George s sentiments ; and, as men are intui 
tively quick in discovering who do and who do not defer 
to their suggestions, their accidental independence might 
have been favoured by this fact, for the discourse of this 
gentleman was addressed in the main to those who lent the 
most willing ears. . Mr. Dodge, in particular, was his con 
stant and respectful listener, and profound admirer : But 
then he was his room-mate, and a democrat of a water so 
pure, that he was disposed to maintain no man had a right 
to any one of his senses, unless by popular sufferance. 

In the mean while, the night advanced, and the soft light 
of the moon was playing on the waters, adding a semi- 
mysterious obscurity to the excitement of the scene. The 
two-oared boat had evidently been overtaken by that carry 
ing six oars, and, after a short conference, the first had 
returned reluctantly towards the land, while the latter, 
profiting by its position, had set two lug-sails, and was 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 

standing out into the offing, on a course that would compel 
the Montauk to come under its lee, when the shoals, as 
would soon be the case, should force the ship to tack. 

&quot; England is most inconveniently placed,&quot; Captain Truck 
dryly remarked as he witnessed this manoeuvre. &quot; Were 
this island only out of the way, now, we might stand on as 
we head, and leave those man-of-war s men to amuse them 
selves all night with backing and filling in the roads of 
Portsmouth.&quot; 

&quot; I hope there is no danger of that little boat s overtaking 
this large ship !&quot; exclaimed Sir George, with a vivacity 
that did great credit to his philanthropy, according to the 
opinion of Mr. Dodge at least ; the latter having imbibed a 
singular bias in favour of persons of condition, from having 
travelled in an eilwagen with a German baron, from whom he 
had taken a model of the pipe he carried but never smoked, 
and from having been thrown for two days and nights into 
the society of a &quot; Polish countess,&quot; as he uniformly termed 
her, in the gondole of a diligence, between Lyons and Mar 
seilles. In addition, Mr. Dodge, as has just been hinted, 
was an ultra-freeman at home a circumstance that seems 
always to react, when the subject of the feeling gets into 
foreign countries. 

&quot; A feather running before a lady s sigh would outsail 
either of us in this air, which breathes on us in some such 
fashion as a whale snores, Sir George, by sudden puffs. I 
would give the price of a steerage passage, if Great Britain 
lay off the Cape of Good Hope for a week or ten days.&quot; 

&quot; Or Cape Hatteras !&quot; rejoined the mate. 

&quot; Not I ; I wish the old island no harm, nor a worse cli 
mate than it has got already ; though it lies as much in 
our way just at this moment, as the moon in an eclipse of 
the sun. I bear the old creature a great-grandson s love 
or a step or two farther off, if you will, and come and go 
too often to forget the relationship. But, much as I love 
her, the affection is not strong enough to go ashore on her 
shoals, and so we will go about, Mr. Leach ; at the same 
time, I wish from my heart that two-lugged rascal would 
go about his business.&quot; 

The ship tacked slowly but gracefully, for she was in 
hat her master termed &quot; racing trim ;&quot; and as her bows 


40 HOMEWARD BOUND* 

fell off to the eastward, it became pretty evident to all who 
understood the subject, that the two little lug-sails that 
were &quot;eating into the wind,&quot; as the sailors express it, 
would weather upon her track ere she could stretch over to 
the other shoal. Even the landsmen had some feverish 
suspicions of the truth, and the steerage passengers were 
already holding a secret conference on the possibility of 
hiding the pursued in some of the recesses of the ship. 
&quot; Such things were often done,&quot; one whispered to another, 
&quot; and it was as easy to perform it now as at any other time.&quot; 

But Captain Truck viewed the matter differently: his 
vocation called him three times a year into the roads at 
Portsmouth, and he felt little disposition to embarrass his 
future intercourse with the place by setting its authorities 
at a too open defiance. He deliberated a good deal on the 
propriety of throwing his ship up into the wind, as she 
slowly advanced towards the boat, and of inviting those in 
the latter to board him. Opposed to this was the pride of 
profession, and Jack Truck was not a man to overlook or 
to forget the &quot; yarns&quot; that were spun among his fellows at 
the New England Coffee-house, or among those farming 
hamlets on the banks of the Connecticut, whence all the 
packet-men are derived, and whither they repair for a shel 
ter when their careers are run, as regularly as the fruit de 
cays where it fallelh, or the grass that has not been har 
vested or cropped withers on its native stalk. 

&quot; There is no question, Sir George, that this fellow is a 
man-of-war s man, * said the master to the baronet, who 
stuck close to his side. &quot;Take a peep at the creeping 
rogue through this night-glass, and you will see his crew 
seated at their thwarts with their arms folded, like men who 
eat the king s beef. None but your regular public servant 
ever gets that impudent air of idleness about him, either in 
England or America. In this respect, human nature is the 
same in both hemispheres, a man never falling in with luck, 
but he fancies it is no more than his deserts.&quot; 

&quot; There seems to be a great many of them ! Can it be 
their intention to carry the vessel by boarding?&quot; 

&quot; If it is, they must take the will for the deed,&quot; returned 
Mr. Truck a little coldly. &quot; I very much question if the 
Montauk, with three cabin officers, as many stewards, two 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 41 

cooks, and eighteen foremast-men, wouid exactly iiKe the 
notion of being carried, as you style it, Sir George, hy a 
six -oared cutter s crew. We are not as heavy as the planet 
lupiter, but have somewhat too much gravity to be carried 
as lightly as all that, too.&quot; 

&quot; You intend, then, to resist ?&quot; asked Sir George, whose 
generous zeal in behalf of the pursued apparently led him 
to take a stronger interest in their escape than any other 
person on board. 

Captain Truck, who had never an objection to sport, 
pondered with himself a little, smiled, and then loudly ex 
pressed a wish that he had a member of congress or a 
member of parliament on board. 

&quot;Your desire is a little extraordinary for the circum 
stances,&quot; observed Mr. Sharp ; will you have the goodness 
to explain why?&quot; 

&quot; This matter touches on international law, gentlemen,&quot; 
continued the master, rubbing his hands ; for, in addition 
to having caught the art of introduction, the honest mariner 
had taken it into his head he had become an adept in the 
principles of Vattel, of whom he possessed a well-thumbed 
copy, and for whose dogmas he entertained the deferenco 
that they who begin to learn late usually feel for the par 
ticular master into whose hands they have accidentally, 
fallen. &quot; Under what circumstances, or in what category, 4 
can a public armed ship compel a neutral to submit to 
.being boarded not carried, Sir George, you will please 

to remark ; for d me, if any man carries the Mon- 

tauk that is not strong enough to carry her crew and 
cargo along with her ! but in what category, now, is a 
packet like this I have the honour to command obliged, in 
comity, to heave-to and to submit to an examination at all ? 
The ship is a-weigh, and has handsomely tacked under her 
canvas ; and, gentlemen, I should be pleased to have your 
sentiments on the occasion. Just have the condescension 
to point out the category.&quot; 

Mr. Dodge came from a part of the country in which 
men were accustomed to think, act, almost to eat and drink 
and sleep, in common ; or, in other words, from one of 
those regions in America, in which there was so much 
community, that few had the moral courage, even when 

4* 


42 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

they possessed the knowledge, and all the other necessary 
means, to cause their individuality to be respected. When 
the usual process of conventions, sub-conventions, cau- 
cusses, and public meetings did not supply the means of 
a concentrated action,&quot; he and his neighbours had long been 
in the habit of having recourse to societies, by way of ob 
taining &quot; energetic means,&quot; as it was termed ; and from 
his tenth year up to his twenty-fifth, this gentleman had 
been either a president, vice-president, manager, or com 
mittee-man, of some philosophical, political, or religious ex 
pedient to fortify human wisdom, make men better, and re 
sist error and despotism. His experience had rendered 
him expert in what may well enough be termed the lan 
guage of association. No man of his years, in the twenty- 
six states, could more readily apply the terms of&quot; taking up 1 
&quot; excitement&quot; ** unqualified hostility&quot; &quot; public opin 
ion&quot; &quot; spreading before the public,&quot; or any other of 
those generic phrases that imply the privileges of all, and 
the rights of none. Unfortunately, the pronunciation of 
this person was not as pure as his motives, and he misun 
derstood the captain when he spoke of comity, as meaning 
a &quot; committee ;&quot; and although it was not quite obvious 
what the worthy mariner could intend by &quot; obliged in com 
mittee (comity) to heave-to,&quot; yet, as he had known these 
. Bodies to do so many &quot; energetic things,&quot; he did not see 
why they might not perform this evolution as well as an 
other. 

&quot; It really does appear, Captain Truck,&quot; he remarked 
accordingly, &quot; that our situation approaches a crisis, and 
the suggestion of a comity (committee) strikes me as being 
peculiarly proper and suitable to the circumstances, and in 
strict conformity with republican usages. In order to save 
time, and that the gentlemen who shall be appointed to 
serve may have opportunity to report, therefore, I will at 
once nominate Sir George Templemore as chairman, leav 
ing it for any other gentleman present to suggest the name 
of any candidate he may deem proper. I will only add, 
that in my poor judgment this comity (committee) ought to 
consist of at least three, and that it have power to send for 
persons and papers.&quot; 

&quot; I would propose five, Captain Truck, by way of amend 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 43 

ment,&quot; added another passenger of the same kidney as the 
last speakei, gentlemen of their school making it a point to 
differ a little from every proposition by way of showing 
their independence. 

It was fortunate for both the mover of the original mo 
tion, and for the proposer of the amendment, that the mas 
ter was acquainted with the character of Mr. Dodge, or a 
proposition that his ship was to be worked by a committee, 
(or indeed by comity,) would have been very likely to meet 
with Dut an indifferent reception ; but, catching a glimpse 
of the laughing eyes of Eve, as well as of the amused faces 
of Mr. Snarp and Mr. Blunt, by the light of the moon, he 
very gravely signified his entire approbation of the chair 
man named, and his perfect readiness to listen to the report 
of the aforesaid committee as soon as it might be prepared 
to make it. 

&quot; And if your committee, or comity, gentlemen,&quot; he 
added, &quot; can tell me what Vattel would say about the obli 
gation to heave-to in a time of profound peace, and when 
the ship, or boat, in chase, can have no belligerent rights, 
I shall be grateful to my dying day ; for I have looked him 
through as closely as old women usually examine alma 
nacks to tell which way the wind is about to blow, and I 
fear he has overlooked the subject altogether.&quot; 

Mr. Dodge, and three or four more of the same commu 
nity-propensity as himself, soon settled the names of the 
rest of the committee, when the nominees retired to another 
part of the deck to consult together ; Sir George Temple- 
more, to the surprise of all the Effingham party, consenting 
to serve with a willingness that rather disregarded forms. 

&quot; It might be convenient to refer other matters to this 
committee, captain,&quot; said Mr. Sharp, who had tact enough 
to see that nothing but her habitual retenue of deportment 
kept Eve, whose bright eyes were dancing with humour 
from downright laughter : &quot; these are the important points 
of reefing and furling, the courses to be steered, the sail to 
be carried, the times and seasons of calling all hands toge 
ther, w ;h sundry other customary duties, that no doubt 
would be well treated on in this forthcoming report.&quot; 

&quot; No doubt, sir ; I perceive you have been at sea before, 
and I am sorry you were overlooked in naming the mem 


44 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

bers of the comity : take my word for it, all that you have 
mentioned can be done on board the Montauk by a comity, 
as well as settling the question of heaving-to, or not, for 
yonder boat. By the way, Mr. Leach, the fellows have 
tacked, and are standing in this direction, thinking to cross 
our bows and speak us. Mr. Attorney, the tide is setting 
us off the land, and you may make it morning before you 
get into your nests, if you hold on much longer. I fear 
Mrs. Seal and Mrs. Grab will be unhappy women.&quot; 

The bloodhounds of the law heard this warning with 
indifference, for they expected succour of some sort, though 
they hardly knew of what sort, from the man-of-war s boat, 
which, it was now plain enough, must weather on the ship. 
After putting their heads together, Mr. Seal offered his com 
panion a pinch of snuff, helping himself afterwards, like a 
man indifferent to the result, and one patient in time of 
duty. The sun-burnt face of the captain, whose standing 
colour was that which cooks get when the fire burns the 
brightest, but whose hues no fire or cold ever varied, was 
turned fully on the two, and it is probable they would have 
received some decided manifestation of his will, had not 
Sir George Templemore, with the four other committee- 
men, approached to give in the result of their conference. 

&quot; We are of opinion, Captain Truck,&quot; said the baronet, 
&quot; that as the ship is under way, and your voyage may be 
fairly said to have commenced, it is quite inexpedient and 
altogether unnecessary for you to anchor again ; but that 
it is your duty &quot; 

&quot; I have no occasion for advice as to my duty, gentlemen. 
If you can let me know what Vattel says, or ought to have 
said, on the subject, or touching the category of the right 
of search, except as a belligerent right, I will thank you ; 
if not, we must e en guess at it. I have not sailed a ship 
in this trade these ten years to need any jogging of the 
memory about port -jurisdiction either, for these are matters 
in which one gets to be expert by dint of use, as my old 
master used to say when he called us from table with half 
a dinner. Now, there was the case of the blacks in 
Charleston, in which our government showed clearly it had 
not studied Vattel, or it never would have given the answer 
;t did. Perhaps you never heard that case, Sir George, and 


HOMEWARD BOUffD. 45 

as it touches a delicate principle, I will just run over the 
category lightly ; for it has its points, as well as a coast.&quot; 

&quot; Does not this matter press, may not the boat &quot; 

&quot; The boat will do nothing, gentlemen, without the per 
mission of Jack Truck. You must know, the Carolinians 
have a law that all niggers brought into their state by ships, 
must be caged until the vessel sails again. This is to pre 
vent emancipation, as they call it, or abolition, I know not 
which. An Englishman comes in from tlte islands with a 
crew of blacks, and, according to law, the authorities of 
Charleston house them all before night. John Bull com 
plains to his minister, and his minister sends a note to our 
secretary, and our secretary writes to the Governor of 
Carolina, calling on him to respect the treaty, and so on. 
Gentlemen, I need not tell you what a treaty is it is a 
thing in itself to be obeyed ; but it is all important to know 
what it commands. Well, what was this said treaty ? That 
John should come in and out of the ports, on the footing of 
the most favoured nation ; on the ztatu quo ante bellum 
principle, as Vattel has it. Now, the Carolinians treated 
John just as they treated Jonathan, and there was no more 
to be said. All parties were bound to enter the port, sub 
ject to the municipals, as is set forth in Vattel. That was 
a case soon settled, you perceive, though depending on a 
nicety.&quot; 

Sir George had listened with extreme impatience, but, 
fearful of offending, he listened to the end ; then, seizing 
the first pause in the captain s discourse, he resumed his 
remonstrances with an interest that did infinite credit to his 
humanity, at the same time that he overlooked none of the 
obligations of politeness. 

&quot; An exceedingly clear case, I protest,&quot; he answered, 
&quot; and capitally put I question if Lord Stowell could do it 
better and exceedingly apt, that about the ante bellum ; 
but I confess my feelings have not been so much roused for 
a long time as they have been on account of these poor peo 
ple. There is something inexpressibly painful in being dis 
appointed as one is setting out in the morning of life, as it 
were, in this cruel manner ; and rather than see this state 
of things protracted, I would prefer paying a trifle out of 
my own pocket. If this wretched attorney will consent, 


46 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

now, to take a hundred pounds and quit us, and carry back 
with him that annoying cutter with the lug-sails, I will give 
him the money most cheerfully, most cheerfully, I pro 
test.&quot; 

There is something so essentially respectable in practical 
generosity, that, though Eve and all the curious auditors of 
what was passing felt an inclination to laugh at the whole 
procedure up to this declaration, eye met eye in commen 
dation of the liberality of the baronet. He had shown he 
had a heart, in the opinion of most of those who heard him, 
though his previous conversation had led several of the ob 
servers to distrust his having the usual quantum of head. 

&quot; Give yourself no trouble about the attorney, Sir 
George,&quot; returned the captain, shaking the other cordially 
by the hand : &quot; he shall not touch a pound of your money, 
nor do I think he is likely to touch Robert Davis. We have 
caught the tide on our lee bow, and the current is wheeling 
us up to windward, like an opposition coach flying over 
Blackheath. In a few minutes we shall be in blue water; 
and then I ll give the rascal a touch of Vattel that will 
throw him all aback, if it don t throw him overboard.&quot; 

&quot; But the cutter ?&quot; 

&quot; Why, if we drive the attorney and Grab out of the 
ship, there will be no process in the hands of the others, 
by which they can carry off the man, even admitting the 
jurisdiction. I know the scoundrels, and not a shilling 
shall either of the knaves take from this vessel with my 
consent. Harkee, Sir George, a word in your ear : two 
of as d d cockroaches as ever rummaged a ship s bread- 
room ; I ll see that they soon heave about, or I ll heave 
them both into their boat, with my own fair hands.&quot; 

The captain was about to turn away to examine the po 
sition of the cutter, when Mr. Dodge asked permission to 
make a short report in behalf of the minority of the comity 
(committee), the amount of which was, that they agreed in 
all things with the majority, except on the point that, as it 
might become expedient for the ship to anchor again iu 
some of the ports lower down the Channel, it would be wise 
to keep that material circumstance in view, in making up a 
final decision in the affair. This report, on the part of the 
minority, which, Mr. Dodge explained to the baronet, par- 


4 HOMEWARD BOUND. 47 

took rather of the character of a caution than of a protest, 
had quite as little influence on Captain Truck as the opinion 
of the majority, for he was just one of those persons who 
seldom took advice that did not conform with his own pre 
vious decision; but he coolly continued to examine the 
cutter, which by this time was standing on the same course 
as the ship, a short distance to windward of her, and edging 
a little off the wind, so as to bring the two nearer to each 
other, every yard they advanced. 

The wind had freshened to a little breeze, and the cap 
tain nodded his head with satisfaction when he heard, 
even where he stood on the quarter-deck, the slapping of 
the sluggish swell, as the huge bows of the ship parted the 
water. At this moment those in the cutter saw the bubbles 
glide swiftly past them, while to those in the Montauk the 
motion was still slow and heavy ; and yet, of the two, the 
actual velocity was rather in favour of the latter, both hav 
ing about what is technically termed &quot; four-knot way&quot; on 
them. The officer of the boat was quick to detect the 
change that was acting against him, and by easing the 
sheets of his lug-sails, and keeping the cutter as much off 
the wind as he could, he was soon within a hundred feet of 
the ship, running along on her weather-beam. The bright 
soft moonlight permitted the face of a young man in a man- 
of-war cap, who wore the undress uniform of a sea lieuten 
ant, to be distinctly seen, as he rose in the stern-sheets, 
which contained also two other persons. 

&quot; I will thank you to heave-to the Montauk,&quot; said the 
lieutenant civilly, while he raised his cap, apparently in 
compliment to the passengers who crowded the rail to see 
and hear what passed. &quot;1 am sent on the duty of the king, 
sir.&quot; 

&quot; I know your errand, sir,&quot; returned Captain Truck, 
whose resolution to refuse to comply was a good deal sha 
ken by the gentleman-like manner in which the request was 
made; &quot;and I wish you to bear witness, that if 1 do con 
sent to your request, it is voluntarily ; for, on the principles 
laid down by Vattel and the other writers on international 
law, the right of search is a belligerent right, and England 
being at peace, no ship belonging to one nation can have a 
right to stop a vessel belonging to another.&quot; 


48 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; I cannot enter into these niceties, sir,&quot; returned the 
lieutenant, sharply : &quot; I have my orders, and you will ex- 
cuse me if I say, I intend to execute them.&quot; 

&quot; Execute them, with all my heart, sir : if you are or 
dered to heave-to my ship, all you have to do is to get on 
board if you can, and let us see the style in which you 
handle yards. As to the people now stationed at the braces, 
the trumpet that will make them stir is not to be spoken 
through at the Admiralty. The fellow has spirit in him, 
and I like his principles as an officer, but I cannot admit 
his conclusions as a jurist. If he flatters himself with 
being able to frighten us into a new category, now, that is 
likely to impair national rights, the lad has just got himself 
into a problem that will need all his logic, and a good deal 
of his spirit, to get out of again.&quot; 

&quot; You will scarcely think of resisting a king s officer in 
British waters !&quot; said the young man with that haughtiness 
that the meekest tempers soon learn to acquire under a 
pennant. 

&quot;Resisting, my dear sir ! I resist nothing. The miscon 
ception is in supposing that you sail this ship instead of 
John Truck. That is my name, sir ; John Truck. Do 
your errand in welcome, but do not ask me to help you. 
Come aboard, with all my heart ; nothing would give me 
more pleasure than to take wine with you ; but I see no 
necessity of stopping a packet, that is busy on a long road, 
without an object, as we say on the other side of the bio- 
waters.&quot; 

There was a pause, and then the lieutenant, with the sort 
of hesitation that a gentleman is apt to feel when he makes 
a proposal that he knows ought not to be accepted, called 
out that those in the boat with him would pay for the de 
tention of the ship. A more unfortunate proposition could 
not be made to Captain Truck, who would have hove-to his 
ship in a moment had the lieutenant proposed to discuss 
Vattel with him on the quarter-deck, and who was only hold 
ing out as a sort of salvo to his rights, with that disposition to 
resist aggression that the experience of the last forty years 
has so deeply implanted in the bosom of every American 
sailor, in cases connected with English naval officers, and 
who had just made up his mind to let Robert Davis take 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


his chance, and to crack a bottle with the handsome young 
man who was still standing up in the boat. But Mr. Truck 
had been too often to London not to understand exactly the 
manner in which Englishmen appreciate American charac 
ter ; and, among other things, he knew it was the general 
opinion in the island that money could do any thing with 
Jonathan, or, as Christophe is said once to have senten- 
tiousiy expressed the same sentiment, &quot; if there were a bag 
of coffee in h , a Yankee could be found to go and bring 

The master of the Montauk had a proper relish for his 
lawful gains as well as another, but he was vain-glorious 
on the subject of his countrymen, principally because he 
found that the packets outsailed all other merchant-ships, 
and fiercely proud of any quality that others were disposed 
to deny them. 

At hearing this proposal, or intimation, therefore, instead 
of accepting it, Captain Truck raised his hat with formal 
civility, and coolly wished the other &quot; good night.&quot; This 
was bringing the affair to a crisis at once ; for the helm ot 
the cutter was borne up, and an attempt was made to run 
the boat alongside of the ship. But the breeze had been 
steadily increasing, the air had grown heavier as the night 
advanced, and the dampness of evening was thickening the 
canvas of the coarser sails in a way sensibly to increase 
the speed of the ship. When the conversation commenced, 
the boat was abreast of the fore-rigging ; and by the time 
it ended, it was barely up with the mizzen. The lieutenant 
was quick to see the disadvantage he laboured under, and 
he called out &quot; Heave !&quot; as he found the cutter was falling 
close under the counter of the ship, and would be in her 
wake in another minute. The bowman of the boat cast a 
light grapnel with so much precision that it hooked in the 
rnizzen rigging, and the line instantly tightened so as to tow 
the cutter. A seaman was passing along the outer edge of 
the hurricane-house at the moment, coming from the wheel, 
and with the decision of an old salt, he quietly passed his 
knife across the stretched cordage, and it snapped like pack 
thread. The grapnel fell into the sea, and the boat was 
tossino- in the wake of the ship, all as it might be while 
one cSuld draw a breath. To furl the sails and ship the 
5 


50 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

oars consumed but an instant, and then the cutter was 
ploughing the water under the vigorous strokes of her 
crew. 

&quot; Spirited ! spirited and nimble !&quot; observed Captain 
Truck, who stood coolly leaning against a shroud, in a 
position where he could command a view of all that was 
passing, improving the opportunity to shake the ashes from 
his cigar while he spoke ; &quot; a fine young fellow, and one 
who will make an admiral, or something better, I dare say, 
if he live ; perhaps a cherub, in time. Now, if he pull 
much longer in the back-water of our wake, I shall have to 
give him up, Leach, as a little marin-is^ : ah ! there he 
sheers out of it, like a sensible youth as he is ! Well, 
there is something pleasant in the conceit of a six-oared 
boat s carrying a London liner by boarding, even admitting 
the lad could have got alongside.&quot; 

So, it would seem, thought Mr. Leach and the crew of 
the Montauk ; for they were clearing the decks with as 
much philosophy as men ever discover when employed in 
an unthankful office. This sang-froid of seamen is always 
matter of surprise to landsmen ; but adventurers who have 
been rocked in the tempest for years, whose utmost security 
is a great hazard, and whose safety constantly depends on 
the command of the faculties, come in time to experience 
an apathy on the subject of all the minor terrors and ex 
citements of life, that none can acquire unless by habit and 
similar risks. There was a low laugh among the people, 
and now and then a curious glance of the eye over the 
quarter to ascertain the position of the struggling boat ; but 
there the effect of the little incident ceased, so far as the 
seamen were concerned. 

Not so with the passengers. The Americans exulted at 
the failure of the man-of-war s man, and the English 
doubted. To them, deference to the crown was habitual, 
and they were displeased at seeing a stranger play a king s 
boat such a trick, in what they justly enough thought to be 
British waters. Although the law may not give a man any 
more right than another to the road before his own door, 
he comes in time to fancy it, in a certain degree, his par 
ticular road. Strictly speaking, the Montauk was perhaps 
still under the dominion of the English laws, though she 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 51 

had been a league from the land when laying at her anchor, 
and by this time the tide and her own velocity had swept her 
broad off into the offing quite as far again ; indeed she had 
now got to such a distance from the land, that Captain 
Truck thought it his &quot; duty&quot; to bring matters to a con 
clusion with the attorney. 

&quot; Well, Mr. Seal,&quot; he said, &quot; I am grateful for the plea 
sure of your company thus far ; but you will excuse me if 
I decline taking you and Mr. Grab quite to America. Half 
an hour hence you will hardly be able to find the island ; 
for as soon as we have got to a proper distance from the 
cutter, I shall tack to the south-west, and you ought, more- 
. over, to remember the anxiety of the ladies at home.&quot; 

&quot; This may turn out a serious matter, Captain Truck, on 
your return passage ! The laws of England are not to be 
trifled with. Will you oblige me by ordering the steward 
to hand me a glass of water ? Waiting for iustice is dry 
duty, I find.&quot; 

&quot; Extremely sorry I cannot comply, gentlemen. Vattel 
has nothing on the subject of watering belligerents, or neu 
trals, and the laws of Congress compel me to carry so many 
gallons to the man. If you will .take it in the way of a 
nightcap, however, and drink success to our run to Ame 
rica, and your own to the shore, it shall be in champagne, 
if you happen to like that agreeable fluid.&quot; 

The attorney was about to express his readiness to com- 
promise on these terms, when a glass of the beverage for 
which he had first asked was put into his hand by the wife 
of Robert Davis. He took the water, drank it, and turned 
from the woman with the obduracy of one who never suf 
fered feeling to divert him from the pursuit of gain. The 
wine was brought, and the captain filled the glasses with a 
seaman s heartiness. 

&quot; I drink to your safe return to Mrs. Seal, and the little 
gods and goddesses of justice, Pan or Mercury, which is 
it ? And as for you, Grab, look out for sharks as you pull 
in. If they hear of your being afloat, the souls of perse 
cuted sailors will set them on you, as the devil chases male 
coquettes. Well, gentlemen, you are balked this time ; but 
what matters it? It is but another man got safe out of a 
country that has too many in it ; and I trust we shall meet 


52 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

good friends again this day four months. Even man and 
wife mnst part, when the hour arrives.&quot; 

&quot; That will depend on how my client views your conduct 
on this occasion, Captain Truck ; for he is not a man that 
it is always safe to thwart.&quot; 

&quot; That for your client, Mr. Seal !&quot; returned the captain, 
snapping his fingers. &quot; I am not to be frightened with an 
attorney s growl, or a bailiff s nod. You come off with a 
writ or a warrant, I care not which ; I offer no resistance ; 
you^hunt for your man, like a terrier looking for a rat, and 
can t find him ; I see the fine fellow, at this moment, on 
deck, but I feel no obligation to tell you who or where he 
is ; my ship is cleared and I sail, and you have no power 
to stop me ; we are outside of all the head-lands, good two 
leagues and a half off, and some writers say that a gun 
shot is the extent of your jurisdiction, once out of which, 
your authority is not worth half as much as that of my 
chief cook, who has power to make his mate clean the cop 
pers. Well, sir, you stay here ten minutes longer and we 
shall be fully three leagues from your nearest land, and 
then you are in America, according to law, and a quick 
passage you will have made of it. Now, that is what I call 
a category.&quot; 

As the captain made this last remark, his quick eye saw 
that the wind had hauled so far round to the westward, as 
to supersede the necessity of tacking, and that they were 
actually going eight knots in a direct line from Portsmouth. 
Casting an eye behind him, he perceived that the cutter had 
given up the chase, and was returning towards the distant 
roads. Under circumstances so discouraging, the attorney, 
who began to be alarmed for his boat, which was flying 
along on the water, towed by the ship, prepared to take his 
leave ; for he was fully aware that he had no power to com 
pel the other to heave-to his ship, to enable him to get out 
of her. Luckily the water was still tolerably smooth, and 
with fear and trembling, Mr. Seal succeeded in blundering 
into the boat ; not, however, until the watermen had warned 
him of their intention to hold on no longer. Mr. Grab fol 
lowed, with a good deal of difficulty, and just as a hand 
was about to let go the painter, the captain appeared at the 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 53 

gangway with the man they were in quest of, and said in 
his most winning manner 

&quot;Mr. Grab, Mr. Davis; Mr. Davis, Mr Grab; I sel 
dom introduce steerage passengers, but to oblige two old 
friends I break the rule. That s what I call a category. 
My compliments LO Mrs. Grab. Let go the painter.&quot; 

The words were no sooner uttered ^han the boat waa 
tossing and whirling in the caldron left by the passing 
ship. 


CHAPTER V. 


What country, friends, Is this ? 

Illyria, lady. 

TWELFTH NIGHT. 


CAPTAIN TRUCK cast an eye aloft to see if everything 
drew, as coolly as if nothing out of the usual course had 
happened ; he and his crew having, seemingly, regarded 
the attempt to board them as men regard the natural phe 
nomena of the planets, or in other words, as if the ship, of 
which they were merely parts, had escaped by her own in 
stinct or volition. This habit of considering the machine 
as the governing principle is rather general among seamen, 
who, while they ease a brace, or drag a bowline, as the 
coachman checks a rein, appear to think it is only permit 
ting the creature to work her own will a little more freely. 
It is true all know better, but none talk, or indeed would 
seem to/eeZ, as if they thought otherwise. 

&quot; Did you observe how the old barky jumped out of the 
way of those rovers in the cutter ?&quot; said the captain com 
placently to the quarter-deck group, when his survey alol 
had taken sufficient heed that his own nautical skill should 
correct the instinct of the ship. &quot; A skittish horse, or a 
whale with the irons in him, or, for that matter, one of the 
funniest of your theatricals, would not have given a pret^ 
tier aside than this poor old hulk, which is certainly just 


54 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

the clumsiest craft that sails the ocean. I wish King Wil 
liam would take it into his royal head, now, to send one of 
his light-heeled cruisers out to prove it, by way of resent 
ing the cantaverous trick the Montauk played his boat !&quot; 

The dull report of a gun, as the sound came short and 
deadened up against the breeze, checked the raillery of Mr. 
Truck. On looking to leeward, there was sufficient light to 
see the symmetrical sails of the corvette they had left at 
anchor, trimmed close by the wind, and the vessel itself 
standing out &quot;under a press of canvas, apparently in chase. 
The gun had evidently been fired as a signal of recall to the 
cutter, blue lights being burnt on board of both the ship and 
its boat, in proof that they were communicating. 

The passengers now looked gravely at each other, for 
the matter, in their eyes, began to be serious. Some sug 
gested the possibility that the offence of Davis might be 
other than debt, but this was disproved by the process and 
the account of the bailiff himself; while most concluded 
that a determination to resent the slight done the authorities 
had caused the cruiser to follow them out, with the inten 
tion of carrying them back again. The English passen 
gers in particular began now to reason in favour of the au 
thority of the crown, while those who were known to be 
Americans grew warm in maintaining the rights of their 
flag. Both the Effinghams, however, were moderate in 
the expression of their opinions ; for education, years, and 
experience, had taught them to discriminate justly. 

&quot; As respects the course of Captain Truck, in refusing to 
permit the cutter to board him, he is probably a better judge 
than any of us,&quot; Mr. Effingham observed with gentlemanly 
reserve &quot; for he must better understand the precise position 
of his ship at the time ; but concerning the want of right in 
a foreign vessel of war to carry this ship into port in a time 
of profound peace, when sailing on the high seas, as will 
soon be the case with the Montauk, admitting that she is 
not there at present, I should think there can be no rea 
sonable doubt. The dispute, if there is to be any, has now 
to become matter of negotiation ; or redress must be sought 
through the general agents of the two nations, and not 
taken by the inferior officers of either party. The instant 
the Montauk reaches the public highway of nations, she is 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 55 

within the exclusive jurisdiction of the country under whose 
flag she legally sails.&quot; 

&quot; Vattel, to the back-bone !&quot; said the captain, giving a 
nod of approbation, again clearing the end of his cigar. 

Now, John Effingham was a man of strong feelings, 
which is often but another word for a man of strong pre 
judices ; and he had been educated between thirty or forty 
years before, which is saying virtually, that he was edu 
cated under the influence of the British opinions, that then 
weighed (and many of which still weigh) like an incubus 
on the national interests of America. It is true, Mr. Ef 
fingham was in all senses the contemporary, as he had been 
the school-fellow, of his cousin ; that they loved each other 
as brothers, had the utmost reliance on each other s prin 
ciples in the main, thought alike in a thousand things, and 
yet, in the particular of English domination, it was scarcely 
possible for one man to resemble another less than the 
widowed kinsman resembled the bachelor. 

Edward Effingham was a singularly just-minded man, 
and having succeeded at an early age to his estate, he had 
lived many years in that intellectual- retirement which, by 
withdrawing him from the strifes of the world, had left a 
cultivated sagacity to act freely on a natural disposition. 
At the period when the entire republic was, in substance, 
exhibiting the disgraceful picture of a nation torn by adverse 
factions, &quot;that had their origin in interests alien to its own; 
when most were either Englishmen or Frenchmen, he had 
remained what nature, the laws and reason intended him to 
be, an American. Enjoying the otium cum dignitate on 
his hereditary estate, and in his hereditary abode, Edward 
Effingham, with little pretensions to greatness, and with 
many 5 claims to goodness, had hit the line of truth which 
so many of the &quot; god-likes&quot; of the republic, under the in 
fluence of their passions, and stimulated by the transient 
and fluctuating interests of the day, entirely overlooked, or 
which, if seeing, they recklessly disregarded. A less im 
practicable subject for excitement, the primum mobile of 
all American patriotism and activity, if we are to believe 
the theories of the times, could not be found, than this 
gentleman. Independence of situation had induced in 
dependence of thought ; study and investigation rendered 


56 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

him original and just, by simply exempting him from the 
influence of the passions ; and while hundreds were keener, 
abler in the exposition of subtleties, or more imposing with 
the mass, few were as often right, and none of less selfish 
ness, than this simple-minded and upright gentleman. He 
loved his native land, while he saw and regretted its weak 
nesses ; was its firm and consistent advocate abroad, without 
becoming its interested or mawkish flatterer at home, and 
at all times, and in all situations, manifested that his heart 
was where it ought to be. 

In many essentials, John Effingham was the converse of 
all this. Of an intellect much more acute and vigorous 
than that of his cousin, he also possessed passions less 
under control, a will more stubborn, and prejudices that 
often neutralized his reason. His father had inherited most 
of the personal property of the family, and with this he had 
plunged into the vortex of monied speculation that succeed 
ed the adoption of the new constitution, and verifying the 
truth of the sacred saying, that &quot; where treasure is, there 
will the heart be also,&quot; he had entered warmly and blindly 
into all the factious and irreconcilable principles of party, 
if such a word can properly be applied to rules of conduct 
that vary with the interests of. the day, and had adopted the 
current errors with which faction unavoidably poisons the 
mind. 

America was then much too young in her independence, 
and too insignificant in all eyes but her own, to reason and 
act for herself, except on points that pressed too obviously 
on her immediate concerns to be overlooked ; but the great 
social principles, or it might be better to say, the great 
social interests, that then distracted Europe, produced 
quite as much sensation in that distant country, as at all 
comported with a state of things that had so little practical 
connexion with the result. The Effingham family had 
started Federalists, in the true meaning of the term ; for 
their education, native sense and principles, had a leaning 
to order, good government, and the dignity of the country; 
but as factions became fiercer, and names got to be con 
founded and contradictory, the landed branch settled down 
into what they thought were American, and the commercial 
branch into what might properly be termed English Fede- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 57 

ralists. We do not mean that the father of John intended 
to be untrue to his native land ; but by following up the 
dogmas of party he had reasoned himself into a set of 
maxims which, if they meant anything, meant everything 
but that which had been solemnly adopted as the governing 
principles of his own country, and many of which were 
diametrically opposed to both its interests and its honour. 

John Effingham had insensibly imbibed the sentiments of 
his particular sect, though the large fortune inherited from 
his father had left him too independent to pursue the sinuous 
policy of trade. He had permitted temperament to act on 
prejudice to such an extent that he vindicated the right of 
England to force men from under the American flag, a doc 
trine that his cousin was too simple-minded and clear-head 
ed ever to entertain for an instant : and he was singularly 
ingenious in discovering blunders in all the acts of the re 
public, when they conflicted with the policy of Great Bri 
tain. In short, his talents were necessary, perhaps, to re 
concile so much sophistry, or to render that reasonably 
plausible that was so fundamentally false. After the peace 
of 1815, John Effingham went abroad for the second time, 
and he hurried through England with the eagerness of strong 
affection ; an affection that owed its existence even more to 
opposition than to settled notions of truth, or to natural ties. 
The result was disappointment, as happens nineteen times 
in twenty, and this solely because, in the zeal of a partisan 
he had fancied theories, and imagined results. Like the 
English radical, who rushes into America with a mind un 
settled by impracticable dogmas, he experienced a reaction, 
and this chiefly because he found that men were not supe 
rior to nature, and discovered so late in the day, what he 
might have known at starting, that particular causes must 
produce particular effects. From this time, John Effingham 
became a wiser and a more moderate man ; though, as the 
shock had not been sufficiently violent to throw him back 
ward on truth, or rather upon the opposing prejudices of 
another sect, the remains of the old notions were still to be 
discovered lingering in his opinions, and throwing a species 
of twilight shading over his mind ; as, in nature, the hues 
of evening and the shadows of the morning follow, or pre 
cede, the light of the sun. 


58 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

Under the influence of these latent prejudices, then, John 
Effingham replied to the remarks of his cousin, and the 
discourse soon partook of the discursive character of all 
arguments, in which the parties are not singularly clear 
headed, and free from any other bias than that of truth. 
Nearly all joined in it, and half an hour was soon passed 
in settling the law of nations, and the particular merits or 
demerits of the instance before them. 

It was a lovely night, and Mademoiselle Viefville and 
Eve walked the deck for exercise, the smoothness of the 
water rendering the moment every way favourable. As 
has been already said, the common feeling in the escape 
of the new-married couple had broken the ice, and less 
restraint existed between the passengers, at the moment 
when Mr. Grab left the ship, than would have been the case 
at the end of a week, under ordinary circumstances. Eve 
Effingham had passed her time since her eleventh year 
principally on the continent of Europe, and in the mixed 
intercourse that is common to strangers in that part of the 
world ; or, in other words, equally without the severe 
restraint that is usually imposed there on the young of her 
own sex, or without the extreme license that is granted to 
them at home. She came of a family too well toned to run 
into the extravagant freedoms that sometimes pass for easy 
manners in America, had she never quitted her father s 
house even : but her associations abroad had unavoidably 
imparted greater reserve to her ordinary deportment than 
the simplicity of cis-Atlantic usages would have rendered 
indispensable in the most fastidious circles. With the usual 
womanly reserves, she was natural and unembarrassed in 
her intercourse with the world, and she had been allowed 
to see so many different nations, that she had obtained a 
self-confidence that did her no injury, under the influence 
of an exemplary education, and great natural dignity of 
mind. Still, Mademoiselle Viefville, notwithstanding she 
had lost some of her own peculiar notions on the subject, by 
having passed so many years in an American family, was 
a little surprised at observing that Eve received the respect 
ful advances of Mr. Sharp and Mr. Blunt with less reserve 
than it was usual to her to manifest to entire strangers. 
Instead of remaining a mere listener, she answered several 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


59 


remarks of the first, and once or twice she even laughed 
with him openly at some absurdity of the committee of five. 
The cautious governess wondered, but half disposed to fancy 
that there was no more than the necessary freedom of a 
ship in it all, for, like a true Frenchwoman. Mademoiselle 
Viefville had very vague notions of the secrets of the mighty 
deep she permitted it to pass, confiding in the long-tried 
taste and discretion of her charge. While Mr. Sharp dis 
coursed with Eve, who held her arm the while, she herself 
had fallen into an animated conversation with Mr. Blunt, 
who walked at her side, arid who spoke her own language 
so well, that she at first set him down as a countryman, 
travelling under an English appellation, as a nom de guerre. 
While this dialogue was at its height of interestfor Paul 
Blunt discoursed with his companion of Paris and its excel 
lencies with a skill that soon absorbed all her attention, 
&quot; Parts, ce magnifique Paris,&quot; having almost as much in 
fluence on the happiness of the governess, as it was said to 
have had on that of Madame de Stael, Eve s companion 
dropped his voice to a tone that was rather confidential for 
a stranger, although it was perfectly respectful, and said, 

&quot; I have flattered myself, perhaps through the influence 
of self-love alone, that Miss Effingham has not so far for 
gotten all whom she has met in her travels, as to think me 
an utter stranger.&quot; 

&quot; Certainly not,&quot; returned Eve, with perfect simplicity 
and composure ; &quot; else would one of my faculties, that of 
memory, be perfectly useless. I knew you at a glance, and 
consider the worthy captain s introduction as so much 
finesse of breeding utterly thrown away.&quot; 

&quot; I am equally gratified and vexed at all this ; gratified 
and infinitely flattered to find that I have not passed before 
your eyes like the common herd, who leave no traces of 
even their features behind them. ; and vexed at finding my 
self in a situation that, I fear, you fancy excessively ridic 
ulous ?&quot; 

&quot; Oh, one hardly dare to attach such consequences to 
acts of young men, or young women either, in an age as 
original as our own. I saw nothing particularly absurd 
but the introduction ; and so many absurder have since 
i, that this is almost forgotten.&quot; 


60 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; And the name ?&quot; 

&quot; Is certainly a keen one. If I am n ftt mistaken, when 
we were in Italy you were content to let your servant bear 
it ; but, venturing among a people so noted for sagacity as 
the Yankees, I suppose you have fancied it was necessary 
to go armed cap-d-pie.&quot; 

Both laughed lightly, as if they equally enjoyed the 
pleasantry, and then he resumed : 

&quot; But I sincerely hope you do not impute improper mo 
tives to the incognito ?&quot; 

&quot; I impute it to that which makes many young men run 
from Rome to Vienna, or from Vienna to Paris ; which 
causes you to sell the vis-a-vis to buy a dormeuse; to know 
your friends to-day, and to forget them to-morrow ; or, in 
short, to do a hundred other things that can be accounted 
for on no other motive.&quot; 

&quot;And this motive ?&quot; 

&quot; Is simply caprice.&quot; 

&quot; I wish I could persuade you to ascribe some better rea 
son to all my conduct. Can you think of nothing, in the 
present instance, less discreditable ?&quot; 

&quot;Perhaps I can,&quot; Eve answered, after a moment of 
thought ; then laughing lightly again, she added, quickly, 
&quot; But I fear, in exonerating you from the charge of unmiti 
gated caprice, I shall ascribe a reason that does little less 
credit to your knowledge.&quot; 

&quot;This will appear in the end. Does Mademoiselle 
Viefville remember me, do you fancy ?&quot; 

&quot; It is impossible ; she was ill, you will remember, the 
three months we saw so much of you.&quot; 

&quot; And your father, Miss Effingham ; am I really for 
gotten by him ?&quot; 

&quot; I am quite certain you are not. He never forgets a 
face, whatever in this instance may have befallen the 
name.&quot; 

&quot; He received me so coldly, and so much like a total 
stranger !&quot; 

&quot; He is too well-bred to recognise a man who wishes to 
be unknown, or to indulge in exclamations of surprise, or 
in dramatic starts. He is more stable than a girl, more 
over, and may feel less indulgence to caprice.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUKTD. 61 

&quot; I feel obliged to his reserve ; for exposure would be ri 
diculous, and so long as you and he alone know me, I shall 
feel less awkward in the ship. I am certain neither will 
betray me.&quot; 

&quot;Betray!&quot; 

&quot; Betray, discover, annihilate me if you will. Anything 
is preferable to ridicule.&quot; 

&quot; This touches a little on the caprice ; but you flattei 
yourself with too much security ; you are known to one 
more besides my father, myself, and the honest man whom 
you have robbed of all his astuteness, which I believe was 
in his name.&quot; . 

&quot; For pity s sake, who can it be ?&quot; 

&quot; The worthy Nanny Sidley, my whilom nurse, and ac 
tual femme de chambre. No ogre was ever more vigilant 
on his ward than the faithful Nanny, and it is vain to sup 
pose she does not recall your features.&quot; 

&quot; But ogres sometimes sleep ; recollect how many have 
been overcome in that situation.&quot; 

Eve smiled, but shook her head. She was about to as 
sure Mr. Sharp of the vanity of his belief, when an excla 
mation from her governess diverted the attention of both, 
and before either had time to speak again, Mademoiselle 
turned to them, and said rapidly in French 

&quot; I assure you, ma chtre, I should have mistaken mon 
sieur for a compatriote by his language, were it not for a 
single heinous fault that he has just committed.&quot; 

&quot; Which fault you will suffer me to inquire into, that I 
may hasten to correct it ?&quot; asked Mr. Blunt. 

&quot; Mais, monsieur, you speak too perfectly, too grammati 
cally, for a native. You do not take the liberties with the 
language that one who feels he owns it thinks he has a right 
to do. It is the fault of too much correctness.&quot; 

&quot; And a fault it easily becomes. I thank you for the 
hint, mademoiselle; but as I am now going where little 
French will be heard, it is probable it will soon be lost in 
greater mistakes.&quot; 

The two then turned away again, and continued the dia 
logue that had been interrupted by this trifling. 

&quot; There may also be one more to whom you are known,&quot; 
6 


62 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

continued Eve, as soon as the vivacity of the discourse of 
the others satisfied her the remark would not be heard. 

11 Surely, you cannot mean him ?&quot; 

&quot; Surely, I do mean him. Are you quite certain that 
* Mr. Sharp, Mr. Blunt ; Mr. Blunt, Mr. Sharp, never saw 
each other before ?&quot; 

&quot; I think not until the moment we entered the boat in com 
pany. He is a gentlemanly young man ; he seems even 
to be more, and one would not be apt to forget him. He is 
altogether superior to the rest of the set : do you not agree 
with me?&quot; 

Eve made no answer, probably because she thought her 
companion was not sufficiently intimate to interrogate her 
on the subject of her opinions of others. Mr, Sharp had 
too much knowledge of the world not to perceive the little 
mistake he had made, and after begging the young lady, 
with a ludicrous deprecation of her mercy, not to betray 
him, he changed the conversation with the tact of a man 
who saw that the discourse could not be continued without 
assuming a confidential character that Eve was indisposed 
to permit. Luckily, a pause in the discourse between the 
governess and her colloquist permitted a happy turn to the 
conversation. 

&quot; I believe you are an American, Mr. Blunt,&quot; he remark 
ed ; &quot; and as I am an Englishman, we may be fairly pitted 
against each other on this .important question of interna 
tional law, and about which I hear our worthy captain 
flourishing extracts from Vattel as familiarly as household 
terms. I hope, at least, you agree with me in thinking that 
when the sloop-of-war comes up with us, it will be very 
silly on our part to make any objections to being boarded 
by her?&quot; 

&quot; I do not know that it is at all necessary I should be an 
American to give an opinion on such a point,&quot; returned the 
young man he addressed, courteously, though he smiled to 
himself as he answered &quot; For what is right, is right, quite 
independent of nationality. It really does appear to me 
that a public-armed vessel ought, in war or peace, to have 
a right to ascertain the character of all merchant-ships, at 
least on the coast of the country to which the cruisers 
belong. Without this power, it is not easy to see in what 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 03 

manner they can seize smugglers, capture pirates, or other 
wise enforce the objects for which such vessels are usually 
Bent to sea, in the absence of positive hostilities.&quot; 

&quot; I am happy to find you agreeing with me, then, in the 
legality of the doctrine of the right of search.&quot; 

Paul Blunt again smiled, and Eve, as she caught a 
glimpse of his fine countenance in turning in their short 
walk, fancied there was a concealed pride of reason in the 
expression. Still he answered as mildly and quietly as 
before. 

&quot; The right of search, certainly, to attain these ends, but 
to attain no more. If nations denounce piracy, for instance, 
and employ especial agents to detect and overcome the free 
booters, there is reason in according to these agents all the 
rights that are requisite to the discharge of the duties : but, 
in conceding this much, I do not see that any authority is 
acquired beyond that which immediately belongs to the par 
ticular service to be performed. If we give a man permis 
sion to enter our house to look for thieves, it does not fol 
low that, because so admitted, he has a right to exercise 
any other function. I do believe that the ship in chase of 
us, as a public cruiser, ought to be allowed to board this 
vessel ; but finding nothing contrary to the laws of nations 
about her, that she will have no power to detain or other 
wise molest her. Even the right I concede ought to be 
exercised in good faith, and without vexatious abuses.&quot; 

&quot; But, surely, you must think that in carrying off a refu 
gee from justice we have placed ourselves in the wrong, 
and cannot object, as a principle, to the poor man s being 
taken back again into the country from which he has 
escaped, however much we may pity the hardships of the 
particular case ?&quot; 

4 1 much question if Captain Truck will be disposed to 
reason so vaguely. In the first place, he will be apt to say 
that his ship was regularly cleared, and that he had autho 
rity to sail ; that in permitting the officer to search his ves 
sel, while in British waters, he did all that could be required 
of him, the law not compelling him to be either a bailiff or 
an informer ; that the process issued was to take Davis, and 
not to detain the Montauk ; that, once out of British waters, 
American law governs, and the English functionary became 


64 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

an intruder of whom he had every right to rid himself, and 
that the process by which he got his power to act at all 
became impotent the instant it was without the jurisdiction 
under which it was granted.&quot; 

&quot; I think you will find the captain of yonder cruiser in 
disposed to admit this doctrine.&quot; 

&quot; That is not impossible ; men often preferring abuses to 
being thwarted in their wishes. But the captain of yonder 
cruiser might as well go on board a foreign vessel of war, 
and pretend to a right to command her, in virtue of the 
commission by which he commands his own ship, as to 
pretend to find reason or law in doing what you seem to 
predict.&quot; 

&quot; I rejoice to hear that the poor man cannot now be torn 
from his wife !&quot; exclaimed Eve. 

&quot; You then incline to the doctrine of Mr. Blunt, Miss 
Efnngham ?&quot; observed the other controversialist a little re 
proachfully. &quot; I fear you make it a national question.&quot; 

&quot; Perhaps I have done what all seem to have done, per 
mitted sympathy to get the better of reason. And yet it 
would require strong proof to persuade me that villanous- 
looking attorney was engaged in a good cause, and that 
meek and warm-hearted wife in a bad one !&quot; 

Both the gentlemen smiled, and both turned to the fair 
speaker, as if inviting her to proceed. But Eve checked 
herself, having already said more than became her, in her 
own opinion. 

&quot; I had hoped to find an ally in you, Mr. Blunt, to sus 
tain the claim of England to seize her own seamen when 
found on board of vessels of another nation,&quot; resumed Mr. 
Sharp, when a respectful pause had shown both the young 
men that they need expect nothing more from their fair 
companion ; &quot; but I fear I must set you down as belonging 
to those who wish to see the power of England reduced, 
coute qui coute.&quot; 

This was received as it was meant, or as a real opinion 
veiled under pleasantry. 

&quot; I certainly do not wish to see her power maintained, 
coute qui coute&quot; returned the other, laughing; &quot;and in 
this opinion, I believe, I may claim both these ladies aa 
allies.&quot; 


HOMFWARD BOUND. 65 

* Certainement /&quot; exclaimed Mademoiselle Viefville, who 
was a living proof that the feelings created by centuries of 
animosity are not to be subdued by a few flourishes of 
the pen. 

&quot; As for me, Mr. Sharp,&quot; added Eve, &quot; you may sup 
pose, being an American girl, I cannot subscribe to the 
right of any country to do us injustice ; but I beg you will 
not include me among those who wish to see the land of 
my ancestors wronged, in aught, that she may rightfully 
claim as her due.&quot; 

&quot; This is powerful support, and I shall rally to the res 
cue. Seriously, then, will you allow me to inquire, sir, if 
you think the right of England to the services of her sea 
men can be denied?&quot; 

&quot; Seriously, then, Mr. Sharp, you must permit me to ask 
if you mean by force, or by reason?&quot; 

&quot; By the latter, certainly.&quot; 

&quot; I think you have taken the weak side of the English 
argument ; the nature of the service that the subject, or 
the citizen, as it is now the fashion to say at Paris, made 
moiselle &quot; 

&quot; Tantpis&quot; muttered the governess. 

&quot; Owes his government,&quot; continued the young man, 
slightly glancing at Eve, at the interruption, &quot; is purely a 
point of internal regulation. In England there is compul 
sory service for seamen without restriction, or what is 
much the same, without an equal protection ; in France, it. 
is compulsory service on a general plan ; in America, as 
respects seamen, the service is still voluntary.&quot; 

&quot; Your pardon ; will the institutions of America permit 
impressment at all ?&quot; 

&quot; I should think, not indiscriminate impressment ; though 
1 do not see why laws might not be enacted to compel drafts 
for the ships of war, as well as for the army : but this is a 
point that some of the professional gentlemen on board, if 
there be any such, might better answer than myself.&quot; 

&quot; The skill with which you have touched on these sub 
jects to-night, had made me hope to have found such a one 
in you ; for to a traveller, it is always desirable to enter a 
country with a little preparation, and a ship might offer aa 
much temptation to teach as to learn.&quot; 

6* 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; If you suppose me an American lawyer, you give me 
credit for more than I can lay claim to.&quot; 

As he hesitated, Eve wondered whether the slight em 
phasis he had laid on the two words we have italicised, was 
heaviest on that which denoted the country, or on that 
which denoted the profession. 

&quot; I have been much in America, and have paid a little 
attention to the institutions, but should be sorry to mislead 
you into the belief that I am at all infallible on such points,&quot; 
Mr. Blunt continued. 

&quot; You were about to touch on impressment.&quot; 

&quot; Simply to say that it is a municipal national power , 
one in no degree dependent on general principles, and that 
it can properly be exercised in no situation in which the 
exercise of municipal or national powers is forbidden. I 
can believe that this power may be exercised on board Ame 
rican ships in British waters or at least, that it is a more 
plausible right in such situations ; but I cannot think it can 
be rightfully exercised anywhere else. I do not think Eng 
land would submit to such a practice an hour, reversing the 
case, and admitting her present strength : and an appeal of 
this sort is a pretty good test of a principle.&quot; 

&quot; Ay, ay, what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the 
gander, as Vattel says,&quot; interrupted Captain Truck, who 
had overheard the last speech or two : &quot; not that he says 
this in so many words, but then, he has the sentiment at 
large scattered throughout his writings. For that matter, 
there is little that can be said on a subject that he does not 
put before his readers, as plainly as Beachy Head lies 
before the navigator of the British Channel. With Bow- 
ditch and Vattel, a man might sail round the globe, -and 
little fear of a bad landfall, or a mistake in principles. My 
present object is to tell you, ladies, that the steward has 
reported the supper in waiting for the honour of your pre 
sence.&quot; 

Before quitting the deck, the party inquired into the state 
of the chase, and the probable intentions of the sloop-of- 
war. 

&quot; We are now on the great highway of nations,&quot; re 
turned Mr. Truck, &quot;and it is my intention to travel it 
without jostling, or being jostled. As for the sloop, she 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 67 

is standing out under a press of canvas, and we are 
standing from her, in nearly a straight line, in like cir 
cumstances. She is some eight or ten miles astern of us, 
and there is an old saying among seamen that a stern 
chase is a long chase. I do not think our case is about to 
make an exception to the rule. I shall not pretend to say 
what will be the upshot of the matter ; but there is not the 
ship in the British navy that can gain ten miles on the 
Montauk, in her present trim, and with this breeze, in as 
many hours ; so we are quit of her for the present.&quot; 

The last words were uttered just as Eve put her foot on 
the step to descend into the cabin. 


CHAPTER VI. 


Trin. Stephano, 

Steph. Doth thy other mouth call me ? Mercy ! Mercy 1 

TEMPWT. 

THE life of a packet steward is one of incessant mixing 
and washing, of interrogations and compoundings, all in a 
space of about twelve feet square. These functionaries, 
usually clever mulattoes who have caught the civilisation^ 
of the kitchen, are busy from morning till night in their 
cabins, preparing dishes, issuing orders, regulating courses, 
starting corks, and answering questions. Apathy is the 
great requisite for the station ; for wo betide the wretch who 
fancies any modicum of zeal, or good nature, can alone fit 
him for the occupation. From the moment the ship sails 
until that in which a range of the cable is overhauled, or 
the chain is rowsed up in readiness to anchor, no smile 
illumines his face, no tone issues from his voice while on 
duty, but that of dogged routine of submission to those 
above, or of snarling authority to those beneath him. As 
the hour for the &quot; drink gelt,&quot; or &quot; buona mana,&quot; ap 
proaches, however, he becomes gracious and smiling. On 
his first appearance in the pantry of a morning, he has a 


68 HOMEWARD BOUXD. 

regula series of questions to answer, and for which, like 
the dutiful Zeluco, who wrote all his letters to his mother 
on the same day, varying the dates to suit the progress 
of time, he not unfrequently has a regular set of answers 
cut and dried, in his gastronomical mind. &quot; How s the 
wind ?&quot; &quot; How s the weather ?&quot; &quot; How s her head ?&quot; all 
addressed to this standing almanack, are mere matters 
of course, for which he is quite prepared, though it is by no 
means unusual to hear him ordering a subordinate to go on 
deck, after the answer is given, with a view to ascertain the 
facts. It is only when the voice of the captain is heard 
from his state-room, that he conceives himself bound to be 
very particular, though such is the tact of all connected 
with ships, that they instinctively detect the &quot; know no 
things,&quot; who are uniformly treated with an indifference 
suited to their culpable ignorance. Even the &quot; old salt&quot; on 
the forecastle has an instinct for a brother tar, though a 
passenger, and a due respect is paid to Neptune in an 
swering his inquiries, while half the time the maiden 
traveller meets with a grave equivoque, a marvel, or a 
downright mystification. 

On the first morning out, the steward of the Montauk 
commenced the dispensation of his news ; for no sooner 
was he heard rattling the glasses, and shuffling plates in 
the pantry, than the attack was begun by Mr. Dodge, in 
whom &quot; a laudable thirst after knowledge,&quot; as exemplified 
in putting questions, was rather a besetting principle. This 
gentleman had come out in the ship, as has been mentioned, 
and unfortunately for the interest of his propensity, not 
only the steward, but all on board, had, as it is expressed 
in slang language, early taken the measure of his foot. 
The result of his present application was the following 
brief dialogue. 

&quot; Steward,&quot; called out Mr. Dodge, through the blinds 
of his state-room ; &quot; whereabouts are we ?&quot; 

&quot; In the British Channel, sir.&quot; 

&quot; I might have guessed that, myself.&quot; 

&quot;So I s pose, sir; nobody is better at guessing and di- 
wining than Mr. Dodge.&quot; 

&quot; But in what part of the Channel are we, Saunders?&quot; 

&quot; About the middle, sir.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 69 

* How far have we come to night ?&quot; 

&quot; From Portsmouth Roads to this place, sir.&quot; 

Mr. Dodge was satisfied, and the steward, who would 
not have dared to be so explicit with any other cabin-pas 
senger, continued coolly to mix an omelette. The next at 
tack was made from the same room, by Sir George Tern- 
plemore. 

&quot; Steward, my good fellow, do* you happen to know 
whereabouts we are 7&quot; 

&quot; Certainly, sir ; the land is still werry obwious.&quot; 

&quot; Are we getting on cleverly 7&quot; 

&quot;Nicely, sir;&quot; with a mincing emphasis on the first 
word, that betrayed there was a little waggery about the 
grave-looking mulatto. 

&quot; And the sloop-of-war, steward 7&quot; 

&quot; Nicely too, sir.&quot; 

There was a shuffling in the state-room, followed by a 
silence. The door of Mr. Sharp s room was now opened 
an inch or two, and the following questions issued through 
the crevice : 

&quot; Is the wind favourable, steward 7&quot; 

&quot; Just her character, sir.&quot; 

&quot; Do you mean that the wind is favourable 7&quot; 

&quot;For the Montauk, sir; she s a persuader in this 
breeze.&quot; 

&quot; But is she going in the direction we wish 7&quot; 

&quot; If the gentleman wishes to perambulate America, it is j 
probable he will get there with a little patience.&quot; 

Mr. Sharp pulled-to his door, and ten minutes passed 
without further questions ; the steward beginning to hope 
the morning catechism was over, though he grumbled a 
wish that gentlemen would &quot; turn out&quot; and take a look for 
themselves. Now, up to this moment, Saunders knew no 
more, than those who had just been questioning him of the 
particular situation of the ship, in which he floaled as indif 
ferent to the whereabouts and the winds, as men sail in the 
earth along its orbit, without bethinking them of parallaxes, 
nodes, ecliptics, and solstices. Aware that it was about 
time for the captain to be heard, he sent a subordinate on 
deck, with a view to be ready to meet the usual questions 
from his commander. A couple of minutes were sufficient 


70 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

to put him au courant of the real state of things. The next 
door that opened was that of Paul Blunt, however, who 
thrust his head into the cabin, with all his dark curls in the 
confusion of a night scene. 

&quot; Steward !&quot; 

&quot; Sir.&quot; 

&quot; How s the wind ?&quot; 

&quot; Quite exhilarating, sir.&quot; 

&quot; From what quarter ?&quot; 

&quot; About south, sir.&quot; 

&quot;Is there much of it?&quot; 

&quot; A prewailing breeze, sir.&quot; 

&quot; And the sloop ?&quot; 

&quot; She s to leeward, sir, operating along as fast as she 
can.&quot; 

&quot; Steward !&quot; 

&quot; Sir,&quot; stepping hurriedly out of his pantry, in order to 
hear more distinctly. 

&quot; Under what sail are we ?&quot; 

&quot; Topgallant sails, sir.&quot; 

&quot; How s her head ?&quot; 

&quot; West-south-west, sir.&quot; 

&quot; Delicious ! Any news of the rover ?&quot; 

&quot; Hull down to leeward, sir, and on our quarter.&quot; 

&quot; Staggering along, eh ?&quot; 

&quot; Quite like a disguised person, sir.&quot; 

&quot; Better still. Hurry along that breakfast of yours, sir ; 
I arn as hungry as a Troglodyte.&quot; 

The honest captain had caught this word from a recent 
treatise against agrarianism, and having an acquired taste 
for orders in one sense, at least, he flattered himself with 
being what is called a Conservative , in other words, he had 
a strong relish for that maxim of the Scotch freebooter, 
which is rendered into English by the comely aphorism of 
&quot; keep what you ve got, and get what you can.&quot; 

A cessation of the interrogatories took place, and soon 
after the passengers began to appear in the cabin, one by 
one. As the first step is almost invariably to go on deck, 
especially in good weather, in a* few minutes nearly all of 
the last night s party were again assembled in the open air, 
a balm that none can appreciate but those who have expe- 


HOMEWARD BOUND 71 

rienced the pent atmosphere of a crowded vessel. The 
steward had rendered a faithful account of the state of the 
weather to the captain, who was now seen standing in the 
main-rigging, looking at the clouds to windward, and at the 
sloop-of-wur to leeward, in the knowing manner of one who 
was making comparisons materially to the disadvantage of 
the latter. 

The day was fine, and the Montauk, bearing her canvas 
nobly, was, to use the steward s language, also staggering 
along, under everything that would draw, from her topgal 
lant-sails down, with the wind near two points forward of 
the beam, or on an easy bowline. As there was but little 
sea, her rate was quite nine knots, though varying with the 
force of the wind. The cruiser had certainly followed them 
thus far, though doubts began to be entertained whether she 
was in chase, or merely bound like themselves to the west 
ward ; a course common to all vessels that wish to clear 
the Channel, even when it is intended to go south, as the 
rocks and tides of the French coast are inconvenient neigh 
bours in long nights. 

&quot; Who knows, after all, that the cutter which tried to 
board us,&quot; asked the captain aloud, &quot; belongs to the ship to 
leeward ?&quot; 

&quot; I know the boat, sir,&quot; answered the second mate ; &quot;and 
the ship is the Foam.&quot; 

&quot; Let her foam away, then, if she wishes to speak us. 
Has any one tried her bearings since daylight ?&quot; 

&quot; We set her by the compass at six o clock, sir, and she 
has not varied her bearing, as far as from one belaying pin 
to another, in three hours ; but her hull rises fast : you can 
now make out her ports, and at daylight the bottom of her 
courses dipped.&quot; 

&quot; Ay, ay, she is a light-going Foam, then ! If that is 
the case, she will be alongside of us by night.&quot; 

&quot; In which event, captain, you will be obliged to give him 
a broadside of Vattel,&quot; threw in John Effingham, in his 
cool manner. 

&quot; If that will answer his errand, he is welcome to as 
much as he can carry. I begin to doubt, gentlemen, whe 
ther this fellow be not in earnest : in which case you may 
have an opportunity of witnessing how ships are handled, 


72 HOMEWARD BOUND* 

when seamen have their management. I have no objection 
to setting the experience of a poor come-and-go sort of a 
fellow, like myself, in opposition to the geometry and 
Hamilton Moore of a young man-of-war s-man. I dare 
say, now, yonder chap is a lord, or a lord s progeny, while 
poor Jack Truck is just as you see him.&quot; 

&quot; Do you not think half-an-hour of compliance on our 
part might bring the matter to an amicable conclusion at 
once 1 ?&quot; said Paul Blunt. &quot;Were we to run down to him, 
the object of his pursuit could be determined in a few 
minutes.&quot; 

&quot; What ! and abandon poor Davis to the rapacity of that 
rascally attorney ?&quot; generously exclaimed Sir George Tem- 
plemore. &quot; I would prefer paying the port -charges myself, 
run into the handiest French port, and let the honest fellow 
escape !&quot; 

&quot; There is no probability that a cruiser would attempt to 
take a mere debtor from a foreign vessel on the open sea.&quot; 

&quot; If there were no tobacco in the world, Mr. Blunt, I 
might feel disposed to waive the categories, and show the 
gentleman that courtesy,&quot; returned the captain, who was 
preparing another cigar. &quot; But while the cruiser might not 
feel authorised to take an absconding debtor from this ves 
sel, he might feel otherwise on the subject of tobacco, pro 
vided there has been an information for smuggling.&quot; 

Captain Truck then explained, that the subordinates of 
the packets frequently got their ships into trouble, by taking 
adventures of the forbidden weed clandestinely into Euro 
pean ports, and that his ship, in such circumstances, would 
lose her place in the line, and derange all the plans of the 
company to which she belonged. He did the English 
government the justice to say, that it had always mani 
fested a liberal disposition not to punish the innocent for the 
guilty; but were any such complaints actually in the wind, 
he thought he could settle it with much less loss to himself 
on his return, than on the day of sailing. While this ex 
planation was delivered, a group had clustered round the 
speaker, leaving Eve and her party on the opposite side of 
the deck. 

&quot; This last speech of Mr. Blunt s quite unsettles my opin 
ion of his national character, as Vattel and our worthy 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 73 

captain would say,&quot; remarked Mr. Sharp. &quot; Last night, I 
set him down as a right loyal American ; but I think it 
would not be natural for a thorough-going countryman of 
yours, Miss Effingham, to propose this act of courtesy to a 
cruiser of King William.&quot; 

&quot; How far any countrymen of mine, thorough-going or 
not, have reason to manifest extreme courtesy to any of 
your cruisers,&quot; Eve laughingly replied, &quot; I shall leave Cap- 
tain Truck to say. But, with you, I have long been at a 
loss to determine whether Mr. Blunt is an Englishman or 
an American, or indeed, whether he be either.&quot; 

&quot; Long, Miss Effingham ! He then has the honour of 
being well known to you ?&quot; 

Eye answered steadily, though the colour mounted to her 
brow ; but whether from the impetuous exclamation of her 
companion, or from any feeling connected with the subject 
of their conversation, the young man was at a loss to dis 
cover. 

&quot;Long, as girls of twenty count time some four or five 
years ; but you may judge how well, when I tell you I am 
ignorant of his country even.&quot; 

&quot; And may I venture to ask which do you, yourself,^give 
him credit for being, an American or an Englishman ?&quot; 

Eve s bright eyes laughed, as she answered, &quot; You have 
put the question with so much finesse, and with a politeness 
so well managed, that I should indeed be churlish to refuse 
an answer: Nay, do not interrupt me, and spoil all the 
good you have done by unnecessary protestations of sin 
cerity.&quot; 

&quot; All I wish to say is, to ask an explanation of a finesse, 
of which I am quite as innocent as of any wish to draw 
down upon myself the visitations of your displeasure.&quot; 

&quot; Do you, then, really conceive it a credit to be an 
American ?&quot; 

&quot; Nobody of less modesty than yourself, Miss Effing 
ham, under all the circumstances, would dream of asking 
the question.&quot; 

&quot; I thank you for the civility, which must be taken as it 
is offered, I presume, quite as a thing en regie ; but to leave 
our fine opinions of each other, as well as our prejudices, 
out of the question &quot; 
7 


74 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; You will excuse me if I object to this, for I feel tny 
good sense implicated. You can hardly attribute to me 
opinions so utterly unreasonable, so unworthy of a gentle 
man so unfounded, in short ! Am I not incurring all the 
risks and hardships of a long sea- voyage, expressly to visit 
your great country, and, I trust, to improve by its example 
and society ?&quot; 

&quot; Since you appear to wish it, Mr. Sharp &quot; Eve glanced 
her playful eye up at him as she pronounced the name &quot; I 
will be as credulous as a believer in animal magnetism : and 
that, I fancy, is pushing credulity to the verge of reason. 
It is now settled between us, that you do conceive it an 
honour to be an American, born, educated, and by extrac 
tion.&quot; 

&quot; All of which being the case with Miss Effingham.&quot; 

&quot; All but the second ; indeed, they write me fearful things 
concerning this European education of mine : some even 
go so far as to assure me I shall be quite unfitted to live in 
the society to which I properly belong !&quot; 

&quot; Europe will be rejoiced to receive you back again, in 
that case ; and no European more so than myself.&quot; 

The beautiful colour deepened a little on the cheek of 
Eve, but she made no immediate reply. 

&quot; To return to our subject,&quot; she at length said ; &quot; Were 
I required to say, I should not be able to decide on the coun 
try of Mr. Blunt ; nor have I ever met with any one who 
appeared to know. I saw him first in Germany, where he 
circulated in the best company; though no one seemed 
acquainted with his history, even there. He made a good 
figure ; was quite at his ease ; speaks several languages 
almost as well as the natives of the different countries them 
selves ; and, altogether, was a subject of curiosity with 
those who had leisure to think of any thing but their own 
dissipation and folly.&quot; 

Mr. Sharp listened with obvious gravity to the fair speaker, 
and had not her own eyes been fastened on the deck, she 
might have detected the lively interest betrayed in his. 
Perhaps the feeling which was at the bottom of all this, to 
a slight degree, influenced his answer. 

&quot; Quite an Admirable Crichton !&quot; 

&quot; I do not say that, though certainly expert in tongues, 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 75 

My own rambling life has made me acquainted with a few 
languages, and I do assure you, this gentleman speaks three 
or four with almost equal readiness, and with no perceptible 
accent. I remember, at Vienna, many even believed him 
to be a German.&quot; 

&quot; What ! with the name of Blunt ?&quot; 

Eve smiled, and her companion, who silently watched 
every expression of her varying countenance, as if to read 
her thoughts, noted it. 

&quot; Names signify little in these migratory times,&quot; returned 
the young lady. &quot; You have but to imagine a von before 
it, and it would pass at Dresden, or at Berlin. Von Blunt, 
der Edelgeborne Graf Von Blunt, Hofratli or if you like 
it better, Geheimer Rath mit Excellenz und cure Gnaden.&quot; 

&quot;Or, Baw-Ber%-Veg-Inspector-Substitut /&quot; added Mr. 
Sharp, laughing. ~&quot; No, no ! this will hardly pass. Blunt 
is a good old English name ; but it has not finesse enough 
for Italian, German, Spanish, or anything else but John 
Bull and his family.&quot; 

&quot; I see no necessity, for my part, for all this Bluntishness ; 
the gentleman may think frankness a good travelling 
quality.&quot; 

&quot; Surely, he has not concealed his real name !&quot; 

&quot;Mr. Sharp, Mr. Blunt; Mr. Blunt, Mr. Sharp;&quot; re- 
joined Eve, laughing until her bright eyes danced with plea- 
sure. &quot; There would be something ridiculous, indeed, in 
seeing so much of the finesse of a master of ceremonies 
subjected to so profound a mystification ! I have been told 
that passing introductions amount to little among you men, 
and this would be a case in point.&quot; 

&quot; I would I dared ask if it be really so.&quot; 

&quot; Were I to be guilty of indiscretion in another s case, 
you would not fail to distrust me in your own. I am, more 
over, a protestant, and abjure auricular confessions.&quot; 

&quot; You will not frown if I inquire whether the rest of your 
party remember him ?&quot; 

&quot;My father, Mademoiselle Viefville, and the excellent 
Nanny Sidley, again ; but, I think, none other of the ser 
vants, as he never visited us. Mr. John Effingham was 
travelling in Egypt at the time, and did not see him at all, 
and we only met in general society ; Nanny s acquaintance 


76 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

was merely that of seeing him check his horse in the Pra 
ter, to speak to us of a morning.&quot; 

&quot; Poor fellow, I pity him ; he has, at least, never had the 
happiness of strolling on the shores of Como and the 
islands of Laggo Maggiore in your company, or of study 
ing the wonders of the Pitti and the Vatican.&quot; 

&quot; If I must confess all, he journeyed with us on foot and 
in boats an entire month, among the wonders of the Ober- 
land, and across the Wallenstadt. This was at a time 
when we had no one with us but the regular guides and the 
German courier, who was discharged in London.&quot; 

&quot; Were it not for the impropriety of tampering with a 
servant, I would cross the deck and question your good 
Nanny, this moment!&quot; said Mr. Sharp with playful 
menace. &quot; Of all torture, that of suspense is the hardest 
to be borne.&quot; 

* I grant you full permission, and acquit you of all sins, 
whether of disrespect, meanness, impertinence, ungentle- 
manlike practices, or any other vice that may be thought 
to attend and characterize the act.&quot; 

&quot; This formidable array of qualities would check the 
curiosity of a village gossip !&quot; 

&quot; It has an effect I did not intend, then ; I wish you to put 
your threat in execution.&quot; 

&quot; Not seriously, surely ?&quot; 

&quot; Never more so. Take a favourable moment to speak 
to the good soul, as an old acquaintance ; she remembers 
you well, and by a little of that interrogating management 
you possess, a favourable opportunity may occur to bring 
in the other subject. In the mean time, I will glance over 
the pages of this book.&quot; 

As Eve began to read, Mr. Sharp perceived she was in 
earnest, and hesitating a moment, in doubt of the propriety 
of the act, he yielded to her expressed desire, and strolled 
carelessly towards the faithful old domestic. He addressed 
her indifferently at first, until believing he might go further, 
he smilingly observed that he believed he had seen her in 
Italy. To this Nanny quietly assented, and when he indi 
rectly added that it was under another name, she smiled, 
but merely intimated her consciousness of the fact, by a 
quick glance of the eye. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 77 

&quot; You know that travellers assume names for the sake 
of avoiding curiosity,&quot; he added, &quot; and I hope you will not 
betray me.&quot; 

* You need not fear me, sir ; I meddle with little besides 
my own duty, and so long as Miss Eve appears to think 
there is no harm in it, I will venture to say it is no more 
than a gentleman s caprice.&quot; 

&quot; Why, that is the very word she applied to it herself! 
You have caught the term from Miss Effingham.&quot; 

* Well, sir, and if I have, it is caught from one who deals 
little harm to any.&quot; 

&quot; I believe I am not the only one on board who travels 
under a false name, if the truth were known ?&quot; 

Nanny looked first at the deck, then at her interrogator s 
face, next towards Mr. Blunt, withdrawing her eye again, 
as- if guilty of an indiscretion, and finally at the sails. Per 
ceiving her embarrassment, respecting her discretion, and 
ashamed of the task he had undertaken, Mr. Sharp said a 
few civil things suited to the condition of the woman, and 
sauntering about the deck for a short time, to avoid suspi 
cion, soon found himself once more alongside of Eve. The 
latter inquired with her eyes, a little exultingly perhaps, 
concerning his success. 

&quot;I have failed,&quot; he said; &quot;but something must be 
ascribed to my own awkward diffidence ; for there is so 
much meanness in tampering with a servant, that I had not 
the heart to push my questions, even while I am devoured 
by curiosity.&quot; 

&quot; Your fastidiousness is not a disease with which all on 
board are afflicted, for there is at least one grand inquisitor 
among us, by what I can learn ; so take heed to your sins, 
and above all, be very guarded of old letters, marks, and 
other tell-tales, that usually expose impostors.&quot; 

&quot; To all that, I believe, sufficient care has already been 
had, by that other Dromio, my own man.&quot; 

&quot; And in what way do you share the name between you? 
Is it Dromio of Syracuse, and Dromio of Ephesus 1 or does 
John call himself Fitz-Edward, or Mortimer, or De 
Courcy?&quot; 

He has complaisance enough to make the passage with 
nothing but a Christian name, I believe. In truth, it wa 


78 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

by a mere accident that I turned usurper in this way. He 
took the state-room for me, and being required to give a 
name, he gave his own, as usual. When I went to the 
docks to look at the ship, I was saluted as Mr. Sharp, and 
then the conceit took me of trying how it would wear for 
a month or six weeks. I would give the world to know if 
the Geheimer Rath got his cognomen in the same honest 
manner.&quot; 

&quot; I think not, as his man goes by the pungent title of 
Pepper. Unless poor John should have occasion for two 
names during the passage, you are reasonably safe. And, 
still, I think,&quot; continued Eve, biting her lips, like one who 
deliberated, &quot; if it were any longer polite to bet, Mr. John 
Effingham would hazard all the French gloves in his trunks, 
against all the English finery in yours, that the inquisitor 
just hinted at gets at your secret before we arrive. Perhaps 
I ought rather to say, ascertains that you are not Mr. Sharp, 
and that Mr. Blunt is.&quot; 

Her companion entreated her to point out the person to 
whom she had given the sobriquet she mentioned. 

&quot; Accuse me of giving nicknames to no one. The man 
has this title from Mademoiselle Viefville, and his own great 
deeds. It is a certain Mr. Steadfast Dodge, who, it seems, 
knows something of us, from the circumstance of living in 
Jie same county, and who, from knowing a little in this 
comprehensive manner, is desirous of knowing a great deal 
more.&quot; 

&quot; The natural result of all useful knowledge.&quot; 

&quot; Mr. John Effingham, who is apt to fling sarcasms at 
all lands, his native country included, affirms that this gen 
tleman is but a fair specimen of many more it will be our 
fortune to meet in America. If so, we shall not long be 
strangers ; for according to Mademoiselle Viefville and my 
good Nanny, he has already communicated to them a thou 
sand interesting particulars of himself, in exchange for 
which he asks no more than the reasonable compensation 
of having all his questions concerning us trulv answered.&quot; 

&quot; This is certainly alarming intelligence, and I shall tako 
heed accordingly.&quot; 

&quot; If he discover that John is without a surname, I am far 
from certain he will not prepare to have him arraigned for 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 79 

some high crimp or misdemeanour ; for Mr. John Effingham 
maintains that the besetting propensity of all this class is 
to divine the worst the moment their imaginations cease to 
be fed with ^acts. All is false with them, and it is flattery 
or accusaticm.&quot; 

The approach of Mr. Blunt caused a cessation of the dis 
course, Eve betraying a slight degree of sensitiveness about 
admitting him to share in these little asides, a circumstance 
that her companion observed, not without satisfaction. The 
discourse now became general, the person who joined them 
amusing the others with an account of several proposals 
already made by Mr. Dodge, which, as he expressed it, in 
making the relation, manifested the strong community- 
characteristics of an American. The first proposition was 
to take a vote to ascertain whether Mr. Van Buren or Mr. 
Harrison was the greatest favourite of the passengers ; and, 
on this being defeated, owing to the total ignorance of so 
many on board of both the parties he had named, he had 
suggested the expediency of establishing a society to ascer 
tain daily the precise position of the ship. Captain Truck 
had thrown cold water on the last proposal, however, by 
adding to it what, among legislators, is called a &quot; rider ;&quot; 
he having drily suggested that one of the duties of the said 
society should be to ascertain also the practicability of 
wading across the Atlantic. 


CHAPTER VII. 


When clouds are seen, wise men put on their cloaks , 
When great leaves fall, then winter is at hand ; 
When the sun sets, who doth not look for night ? 
Untimely storms make men expect a dearth : 
All may be well ; but if God sort it so, 
Tis more than we deserve, or I expect. 

RICHARD III. 


THESE conversations, however, were mere episodes of 
the great business of the passage. Throughout the morn 
ing, the master was busy in rating his mates, giving sharp 


80 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

reprimands to the stewards and cooks, overhauling the log 
line, introducing the passengers, seeing to the stowage of 
the anchors, in getting down the signal-pole, throwing in 
touches of Vattel, and otherwise superintending duty, and 
dispensing opinions. All this time, the cat in the grass does 
not watch the bird that hops aloug the ground with keener 
vigilance than he kept his eye on the Foam. To an ordi 
nary observer, the two ships presented the familiar spec 
tacle of vessels sailing in the same direction, with a very 
equal rate of speed; and as the course was that necessary 
to clear the Channel, most of the passengers, and, indeed, 
the greater part of the crew, began to think the cruiser, 
like themselves, was merely bound to the westward. Mr. 
Truck, on the contrary, judging by signs and movements 
that more naturally suggested themselves to one accustomed 
to direct the evolutions of a ship, and to reason on their 
objects, than to the mere subjects of his will, thought differ 
ently. To him, the motive of the smallest change on board 
the sloop-of-war was as intelligible as if it had been ex 
plained in words, and he even foresaw many that were 
about to take place. Before noon, the Foam had got fairly 
abeam, and Mr. Leach, pointing out the circumstance, ob 
served, that if her wish was to overhaul them, she ought 
then to tack ; it being a rule among seamen, that the pur 
suing vessel should turn to windward as often as she found 
herself nearest to her chase. But the experience of Cap 
tain Truck taught him better ; the tide was setting into the 
Channel on the flood, and the wind enabled both ships to 
take the current on their lee-bows, a power that forced them 
up to windward ; whereas, by tacking, the Foam would 
receive the force of the stream on her weather broadside, 
or so nearly so, as to sweep her farther astern than her 
difference in speed could easily repair. 

&quot; She has the heels of us, and she weathers on us, as it 
is,&quot; grumbled the master ; &quot; and that might satisfy a man 
less modest. I have led the gentleman such a tramp already 
that he will be in none of the best humours when he comes 
alongside, and we may make up our minds on seeing Ports 
mouth again before we see New- York, unless a slant of 
wind, or the night, serve us a good turn. I trust, Leach, 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 81 

t 

you have not been destroying your prospects in life by 
looking too wistfully at a tobacco-field ?&quot; 

&quot; Not I, sir ; and if you will give me leave to say it, 
Captain Truck, I do not think a plug has been landed from 
the ship, which did not go ashore in a bona-fde tobacco- 
box, that might appear m any court in England. The 
people will swear, to a man, that this is true.&quot; 

&quot; Ay, ay ! and the Barons of the Exchequer would be 
the greatest fools in England not to believe them. If there 
has been no defrauding the revenue, why does a cruiser 
follow this ship, a regular packet, to sea ?&quot; 

&quot; This affair of the steerage passenger, Davis, sir, is 
probably the cause. The man may be heavily in debt, or 
possibly a defaulter ; for these rogues, when they break 
down, often fall lower than the twixt decks of a ship like 
this.&quot; 

44 This will do to put the quarter-deck and cabin in good 
humour at sailing, and give them something to open an ac 
quaintance with ; but it is sawdust to none but your new 
beginners. I have known that Seal this many a year, and 
the rogue never yet had a case that touched the quarter 
deck. It is as the man and his wife say, and I ll not give 
them up, out here in blue water, for as much foam as lies 
on Jersey beach after an easterly blow. It will not be any 
of the family of Davis that will satisfy yonder wind-eater ; 
but he will lay his hand on the whole family of the Mon- 
tauk, leaving them the agreeable alternative of going back 
to Portsmouth in his pleasant society, or getting out here in 

mid-channel, and wading ashore as best they can. D 

me I if I believe, Leach, that Vattel will bear the fellow out 
in it, even if there has been a whole hogshead of the leaves 
trundled into his island without a permit !&quot; 

To this Mr. Leach had no encouraging answer to make, 
for, like most of his class, he held practical force in much 
greater respect than the abstractions of books. He deemed 
it prudent, therefore, to be silent, though greatly doubting 
the efficacy of a quotation from any authority on board, 
when fairly put in opposition to a written order from the 
admiral at Portsmouth, or even to a signal sent down from 
the Admiralty at London. 

The day wore away, making a gradual change in the 


82 HOMEWARD BOUND. 



relative positions of the two ships, though so slowly, as to 
give Captain Truck strong hopes of being able to dodge 
his pursuer in the coming night, which promised to be dark 
and squally. To return to Portsmouth was his full inten 
tion, but not until he had first delivered his freight and pas- 
sengers in New- York ; for, like all men bound up body and 
soul in the performance of an especial duty, he looked on 
a frustration of his immediate object as a much greater 
calamity than even a double amount of more remote evil. 
Besides, he felt a strong reliance on the liberality of the 
English authorities in the end, and had little doubt of being 
able to extricate himself and his ship from any penalties to 
which the indiscretion or cupidity of his subordinates might 
have rendered him liable. 

Just as the sun dipped into the watery track of the Mon- 
tauk, most of the cabin passengers again appeared on deck, 
to take a look at the situation of the two vessels, and to 
form their own conjectures as to the probable result of the 
adventure. By this time the Foam had tacked twice, once 
to weather upon the wake of her chase, and again to re 
sume her line of pursuit. The packet was too good a ship 
to be easily overtaken, and the cruiser was now nearly hull- 
down astern, but evidently coming up at a rate that would 
bring her alongside before morning. The wind blew in 
squalls, a circumstance that always aids a vessel of war, 
as the greater number of her hands enables them to make 
and shorten sail with ease and rapidity. 

&quot; This unsettled weather is as much as a mile an hour 
against us,&quot; observed Captain Truck, who was far from 
pleased at the fact of his being outsailed by anything that 
floated ; &quot; and, if truth must be said, I think that fellow has 
somewhere about half a knot the best of it, in the way of 
foot, on a bowline and with this breeze. But he has no 
cargo in, and they trim their boats like steel-yards. Give 
us more wind, or a freer, and I would leave him to digest 
his orders, as a shark digests a marling-spike, or a ring 
bolt, notwithstanding all his advantages; for little good 
would it then do him to be trying to run into the wind s 
eye, like a steam-tug. As it is, we must submit. We are 
certainly in a category, and be d d to it !&quot; 

It was one of those wild-looking sunsets that are so fre- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 83 

quent in the autumn, in which appearances are worse, 
perhaps, than the reality. The ships were now so near the 
Chops of the Channel that no land was visible, and the 
entire horizon presented that chill and wintry aspect that 
belongs to gloomy and driving clouds, to which streaks of 
dull light serve more to give an appearance of infinite space 
than any of the relief of brightness. It was a dreary 
night-fall to a landsman s eye ; though they who better un 
derstood the signs of the heavens, as they are exhibited on 
the ocean, saw little more than the promise of obscurity, 
and the usual hazards of darkness in a much-frequented sea. 

&quot; This will be a dirty night,&quot; observed John Effingham, 
&quot; and we may have occasion to bring in some of the flaunt 
ing vanity of the ship, ere another morning returns.&quot; 

&quot; The vessel appears to be in good hands,&quot; returned Mr. 
Effingham : &quot; I have watched them narrowly ; for, I know 
not why, I have felt more anxiety on the occasion of this 
passage than on any of the nine I have already made.&quot; 

As he spoke, the tender father unconsciously bent his eyes 
on Eve, who leaned affectionately on his arm, steadying 
her light form against the pitching of the vessel. She un 
derstood his feelings better than he did himself, possibly, 
since, accustomed to his fondest care from childhood, she 
well knew that he seldom thought of others, or even of 
himself, while her own wants or safety appealed to his un 
wearying love. 

* Father,&quot; she said, smiling in his wistful face, &quot; we 
have seen more troubled waters than these, far, and in a 
much frailer vessel. Do you not remember the Wallen- 
stadt and its miserable skiff? where I have heard you say 
there was really danger, though we escaped from it all with 
a little fright.&quot; 

&quot; Perfectly well do I recollect it, love, nor have I forgot 
ten our brave companion, and his good service, at tha* 
critical moment. But for his stout arm and timely succoui 
we might not, as you say, have been quit for the fright.&quot; 

Although Mr. Effingham looked only at his daughter, 
while speaking, Mr. Sharp, who listened with interest, saw 
the quick, retreating, glance of Eve at Paul Blunt, and felt 
something like a chill in his blood as he perceived that her 
own cheeks seemed to reflect the glow which appeared on 


64 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

that of the young man. He alone observed this secret evi 
dence of common interest in some event in which both had 
evidently been actors, those around them being too much 
occupied in the arrangements of the ship, and too little sus 
picious, to heed the trifling circumstance. Captain Truck 
had ordered all hands called, to make sail, to the surprise 
of even tho.crew. The vessel, at the moment, was stag 
gering along under as much canvas as she could apparentfy 
bear, and the mates looked aloft with inquiring eyes, as if 
to ask what more could be done. 

The master soon removed all doubts. With a rapidity 
that is not common in merchant ships, but which is usual 
enough in the packets, the lower studding-sails, and two top 
mast-studding-sails were prepared, and made ready for 
hoisting. As soon as the words &quot; all ready&quot; were uttered, 
the helm was put up, the sails were set, and the Montauk 
was running with a free wind towards the narrow passage 
between the Scilly Islands and the Land s End. Captain 
Truck was an expert channel pilot, from long practice, and 
keeping the run of the tides in his head, he had loosely cal 
culated that his vessel had so much offing as, with a free 
wind, and the great progress she had made in the last 
twenty-four hours, would enable him to lay through the 
pass. 

&quot; Tis a ticklish hole to run into in a dirty night, with a 
staggering breeze,&quot; he said, rubbing his hands as if the 
hazard increased his satisfaction, &quot; and we will now see if 
this Foam has mettle enough to follow.&quot; 

&quot;The chap has a quick eye and good glasses, even 
though he should want nerve for the Scilly rocks,&quot; cried 
the mate, who was looking out from the mizzen rigging. 
&quot; There go his stun -sails already, and a plenty of them I&quot; 

Sure enough the cruiser threw out her studding-sails, had 
them full and drawing in five minutes, and altered her 
course so as to follow the Montauk. There was now no 
longer any doubt concerning her object ; for it was hardly 
possible two vessels should adopt so bold a step as this, just 
at dark, and on such a night, unless the movements of one 
were regulated by the movements of the other. 

In the mean time, anxious faces began to appear on the 
quarter-deck, and Mr. Dodge was soon seen moving 


HOMEWARD BOUND, 8 

stealthily about among the passengers, whispering here, 
cornering there, and seemingly much occupied in canvass 
ing opinions on the subject of the propriety of the step that 
the master had just taken ; though, if the truth must be 
told, he rather stimulated opposition than found others pre 
pared to meet his wishes. When he thought, however, he 
had collected a sufficient number of suffrages to venture on 
an experiment, that nothing but an inherent aversion to 
shipwreck and a watery grave could embolden him to 
make, he politely invited the captain to a private conference 
in the state-room occupied by himself and Sir George Tem- 
plemore. Changing the venue, as the lawyers term it, to 
his own little apartment, no master of a packet willingly 
consenting to transact business in any other place Captain 
Truck, who was out of cigars at the moment, very willing 
ly assented. 

When the two were seated, and the door of the room was 
closed, Mr. Dodge carefully snufled the candle, looked about 
him to make sure there was no eave s-dropper in a room 
eight feet by seven, and then commenced his subject, with 
what he conceived to be a commendable delicacy and dis 
cretion. 

&quot; Captain Truck,&quot; he said, in the sort of low confidential 
tone that denotes equally concern and mystery, &quot; I think 
by this time you must have set me down as one of your 
warm and true friends and supporters. I came out in your 
ship, and, please God we escape the perils of the sea, it is 
my hope and intention to return home in her.&quot; 

&quot; If not, friend Dodge,&quot; returned the master, observing 
that the other paused to note the effect of his peroration, and 
using a familiarity in his address that the acquaintance of 
the former passage had taught him was not misapplied ; &quot; if 
not, friend Dodge, you have made a capital mistake in get 
ting on board of her, as it is by no means probable an oc 
casion will offer to get out of her, until we fall in with a 
news-boat, or a pilot-boat, at least somewhere in the lati 
tude and longitude of Sandy Hook. You smoke, I believe 
sir?&quot; 

&quot; I ask no better,&quot; returned Steadfast, declining the ofler ; 
&quot;I have told every one on the Continent,&quot; Mr. Dodge 
had been to Paris, Geneva, along the Rhine, and through 
8 


86 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

Belgium and Holland, and in his eyes, this was the Conti- 
nest, * that no better ship or captain sails the ocean ; and 
you know captain, I have a way with me, when I please, 
that causes what 1 say to be remembered. Why, my dear 
sir, I had an article extolling the whole line in the most ap 
propriate terms, and this ship in particular, put into the 
journal at Rotterdam. It was so well done, that not a soul 
suspected it came from a personal friend of yours.&quot; 

The captain was rolling the small end of a cigar in his 
mouth to prepare it for smoking, the regulations of the ship 
forbidding any further indulgence below ; but when he re 
ceived this assurance, he withdrew the tobacco with the 
sort of mystifying simplicity that gets to be a second nature 
with a regular votary of Neptune, and answered with a 
coolness of manner that was in ridiculous contrast to the 
affected astonishment of the words : 

&quot; The devil you did ! Was it in good Dutch ?&quot; 

&quot; I do not understand much of the language,&quot; said Mr. 
Dodge, hesitatingly ; for all he knew, in truth, was yaw and 
ein,and neither of these particularly well; &quot; but it looked to 
be uncommonly well expressed. I could do no more than 
pay a man to translate it. But to return to this affair of 
running in among the Scilly Islands such a night as this.&quot; 

&quot; Return, my good fellow ! this is the first syllable you 
have said about the matter !&quot; 

&quot; Concern on your account has caused me to forget my 
self. To be frank with you, Captain Truck, and if I 
wer n t your very best friend I should be silent, there is 
considerable excitement getting up about this matter.&quot; 

&quot; Excitement ! what is that like ? a sort of moral head- 
sea, do you mean 1&quot; 

&quot; Precisely : and I must tell you the truth, though I h&d 
rather a thousand times not ; but this change in the ship s 
course is monstrous unpopular !&quot; 

&quot; That is bad news, with a vengeance, Mr. Dodge ; I 
shall rely on you, as an old friend, to get up an opposi 
tion.&quot; 

&quot; My dear captain, I have done all I could in that way 
already ; but I never met with people so bent on a thing as 
most of the passengers. The Effinghams are very decided, 
though so purse-proud and grand ; Sir George Templemore 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


declares it is quite extraordinary, and even the French lady 
is furious. To be as sincere as the crisis demands, public 
opinion is setting so strong against you, that I expect an 
: explosion.&quot; 

&quot; Well, so long as the tide sets m my favour, I must 
endeavour to bear it. Stemming a current, in or out of 
water, is up-hill work ; but with a good bottom, clean cop- 
per, and plenty of wind, it may be done.&quot; 

&quot; It would not surprise me were the gentlemen to appeal 
to the general sentiment against you when we arrive, and 
make a handle of it against your line !&quot; 

&quot; It may be so indeed ; but what can be done J If we 
return, the Englishman will certainly catch us, and, in that 
case, my own opinion would be dead against me !&quot; 

&quot;Well, well, captain; I thought as a friend I would 
speak my mind. If this thing should really get into the 
papers in America, it would spread like fire in the prairies. 
You know what the papers are, I trust, Captain Truck 1 

&quot; I rather think I do, Mr. Dodge, with many thanks for 
your hints, and 1 believe I know what the Scilly Islands 
are, too. The elections will be nearly or quite over by the 
time we get in, and, thank God, they ll not be apt to make 
a party question of it, this fall at least. In the mean time 
rely on my keeping a good look-out for the shoals of popu 
larity, and the quicksands of excitement. You smoke 
sometimes, I know, and I can recommend this cigar as fit 
to regale the nose of that chap of Strasbourg you read 
your Bible, I know, Mr. Dodge, and need not be told whom 
I mean. The steward will be happy to give you a light on 
deck, sir.&quot; 

In this manner, Captain Truck, with the sang frmd oi 
an old tar, and the tact of a packet-master, got rid of his 
troublesome visiter, who departed, half suspecting that he 
had been quizzed, but still ruminating on the expediency of 
getting up a committee, or at least a public meeting in the 
cabin, to follow up the blow. By the aid of the latter, 
could he but persuade Mr. Effiogham to take the chair, and 
Sir George Templemore to act as secretary, he thought he 
might escape a sleepless night, and, what was of quite as 
much importance, make a figure in a paragraph on reach 
ing home. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 

Mr. Dodge, whose Christian name, thanks to a pious an 
cestry, was Steadfast, partook of the qualities that his two 
appellations not inaptly expressed. There was a singular 
profession of steadiness of purpose, and of high principle 
about him, all of which vanished in Dodge at the close. A 

treat stickler for the rights of the people, he never consi- 
ered that this people was composed of many integral parts, 
but he viewed all things as gravitating towards the great 
aggregation. Majorities were his hobbies, and though sin 
gularly timid as an individual, or when m the minority, put 
him on the strongest side and he was ready to face the 
devil. In short, Mr. Dodge was a people s man, because 
his strongest desire, his &quot; ambition and his pride,&quot; as he 
often expressed it, was to be a man of the people. In his 
particular neighbourhood, at home, sentiment ran in veins, 
like gold in the mines, or in streaks of public opinion ; and 
though there might be three or four of these public senti 
ments, so long as each had its party, no one was afraid to 
avow it ; but as for maintaining a notion that was not thus 
upheld, there was a savour of aristocracy about it that 
would damn even a mathematical proposition, though regu 
larly solved and proved. So much and so long had Mr. 
Dodge respired a moral atmosphere of this community- 
character, and gregarious propensity, that he had, in many 
things, lost all sense of his individuality ; as much so, in 
fact, as if he breathed with a pair of county lungs, ate with 
a common mouth, drank from the town-pump, and slept in 
the open air. 

Such a man was not very likely to make an impression 
on Captain Truck, one accustomed to rely on himself alone, 
in the face of warring elements, and who knew that a ship 
could not safely have more than a single will, and that the 
will of her master. 

The accidents of life could scarcely form extremes of 
character more remote than that of Steadfast Dodge and 
that of John Truck. The first never did anything beyond 
acts of the most ordinary kind, without first weighing its 
probable effect in the neighbourhood ; its popularity or un 
popularity ; how it might tally with the different public 
opinions that were whiffling through the county ; in what 
manner it would influence the next election, and whether it 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 8? 

would be likely to elevate him or depress him m the public 
mind. No Asiatic slave stood more in terror of a vindic 
tive master than Mr. Dodge stood in fear and trembling be 
fore the reproofs, comments, censures, frowns, cavillings and 
remarks of every man in his county, who happened to be 
long to the political party that just at that moment was in 
power. As to the minority, he was as brave as a lion, 
could snap his fingers at them, and was foremost in deriding 
and scoffing at all they said and did. This, however, was 
in connexion with politics only ; for, the instant party-drill 
ceased to be of value, Steadfast s valour oozed out of his 
composition, and in all other things he dutifully consulted 
every public opinion of the neighbourhood. This estimable 
man had his weak points as well as another, and what is 
more, he was quite sensible of them, as was proved by a 
most jealous watchfulness of his besetting sins, in the way 
of exposure if not of indulgence. In a word, Steadfast 
Dodge was a man that wished to meddle with and con 
trol all things, without possessing precisely the spirit that 
was necessary to leave him master of himself; he had a 
rabid desire for the good opinion of every thing human, 
without always taking the means necessary to preserve his 
own ; was a stout declaimer for the rights of the commu 
nity, while forgetting that the community itself is but a 
means set up for the accomplishment of a given end ; and 
felt an inward and profound respect for everything that was 
beyond his reach, which manifested itself, not in manly 
efforts to attain the forbidden fruit, but rather in a spirit of 
opposition and detraction, that only betrayed, through its 
jealousy, the existence of the feeling, which jealousy, how 
ever, he affected to conceal under an intense regard for 
popular rights, since he was apt to aver it was quite intole 
rable that any man should possess anything, even to quali 
ties, in which his neighbours might not properly participate- 
All these, moreover, and many similar traits, Mr. Dodge 
encouraged in the spirit of liberty ! 

On the other hand, John Truck sailed his own ship ; was 
civil to his passengers from habit as well as policy ; knew 
that every vessel must have a captain ; believed mankind to 
be little better than asses ; took his own observations, and 
cared not a straw for those of his mates ; was never more 
8* 


90 


HOMEWARD BOUND* 


bent on following his own views than when all hands grtinv 
bled and opposed him ; was daring by nature, decided from 
use and long self-reliance, and was every way a man fitted 
to steer his bark through the trackless ways of life, as well 
as those of the ocean. It was fortunate for one in his par 
ticular position, that nature had made the possessor of so 
much self-will and temporary authority, cool and sarcastic 
rather than hot-headed and violent; and for this circum 
stance Mr. Dodge in particular had frequent occasions for 
felicitation. 


CHAPTER VIL 


But then we are in order, when we are 
Mart out of order. 

JACK CADE. 


DISAPPOINTED in his private appeal to the captain s dread 
of popular disapprobation, Mr. Dodge returned to his secret 
work on deck ; for like a true freeman of the exclusive 
school, this person never presumed to work openly, unless 
sustained by a clear majority ; canvassing all around him, 
and striving hard to create a public opinion, as he termed 
it, on his side of the question, by persuading his hearers 
that every one was of his particular way of thinking al 
ready ; a method of exciting a feeling much practised by 
partisans of his school. In the interval, Captain Truck 
was working up his day s reckoning by himself, in his own 
state-room, thinking little, and caring less, about any thing 
but the results of his figures, which soon convinced him, 
that by standing a few hours longer on his present course, 
he should * plump his ship ashore&quot; somewhere between 
Falmouth and the Lizard. 

This discovery annoyed *he worthy master so much the 
more, on account of the suggestions of his late visiter ; for 
nothing could be less to his taste than to have the appear 
ance of altering his determination under a menace. Still 
something must be done before midnight, for he plainly per 
ceived that thirty or forty miles, at the farthest, would 


HOMEWARD BOUND* 91 

fetch up the Montauk on her present course. The passen 
gers had left the deck to escape the night air, and he 
heard the Effinghams inviting Mr. Sharp and Mr. Blunt 
into the ladies cabin, which had been taken expressly for 
their party, while the others were calling upon the stewards 
for the usual allowance of hot drinks, at the dining-table 
without. The talking and noise disturbed him ; his own 
state-room became too confined, and he%ent on deck to 
come to his decision, in view of the angry-looking skies 
and the watery waste, over which he was called to prevail. 
Here we shall leave him, pacing the quarter-deck, in moody 
silence alone, too much disturbed to smoke even, while the 
mate of the watch sat in the mizzen-rigging, like a monkey, 
keeping a look-out to windward arid ahead. In the mean 
time, we will return to the cabin of the Effinghams. 

The Montauk was one of the noblest of those- surpass 
ingly beautiful and yacht-like ships that now ply between 
the two hemispheres in such numbers, and which in luxury 
and the fitting conveniences seem to vie with each other for 
the mastery. The cabins were lined with satin-wood and 
bird s-eye maple; small marble columns separated the 
glittering panels of polished wood, and rich carpets covered 
the floors. The main cabin had the great table, as a fix 
ture, in the centre, but that of Eve, somewhat shorter, but 
of equal width, was free from all encumbrance of the sort. 
It had its sofas, cushions, mirrors, stools, tables, and an 
upright piano. The doors of the state-rooms, and other 
conveniences, opened on its sides and ends. In short, it 
presented, at that hour, the resemblance of a tasteful bou 
doir, rather than that of an apartment in a cramped and 
vulgar ship. 

Here, then, all who properly belonged to the place were 
assembled, with Mr. Sharp and Mr. Blunt as guests, when 
a tap at the door announced another visiter. It was Mr. 
Dodge, begging to be admitted on a matter of business. 
Eve smiled, as she bowed assent to old Nanny, who acted 
as her groom of the chambers, and hastily expressed a be 
lief that her guest must have come with a proposal to form 
a Dorcas society. 

Although Mr. Dodge was as bold as Csesar in expressing 
his contempt of anything but popular sway, he never came 


02 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

into the presence of the quiet and well-bred without a feel 
ing of distrust and uneasiness, that had its rise in the sim 
ple circumstance of his not being used to their company. 
Indeed, there is nothing more appalling, in general, to the 
vulgar and pretending, than the simplicity and natural ease 
of the refined. Their own notions of elegance lie so much 
on the surface, that they seem at first to suspect an ambush, 
and it is probable that, finding so much repose where, 
agreeably to their preconceived opinions, all ought to be 
fuss and pretension, they imagine themselves to be regarded 
as intruders. 

Mr. Effingham gave their visiter a polite reception, and 
one that was marked with a little more than the usual for- 
mality, by way of letfing it be understood that the apartment 
was private ; a precaution that he knew was very necessary 
in associating with tempers like those of Steadfast. All this 
was thrown away on Mr. Dodge, notwithstanding every 
other person present admired the tact with which the host 
kept his guest at a distance, by extreme attention, for the 
latter fancied so much ceremony was but a homage to his 
claims. It had the effect to put him on his own good beha 
viour, however, and of suspending the brusque manner in 
which he had intended to broach his subject. As every 
body waited in calm silence, as if expecting an explanation 
of the cause of his visit, Mr. Dodge soon felt himself con 
strained to say something, though it might not be quite as 
clearly as he could wish. 

&quot; We have had a considerable pleasant time, Miss Effing- 
ham, since we sailed from Portsmouth,&quot; he observed fami 
liarly. 

Eve bowed her assent, determined not to take to herself 
a visit that did violence to all her habits and notions of pro 
priety But Mr. Dodge was too obtuse to feel the hint con 
veyed in mere reserve of manner. 

&quot; It would have been more agreeable, I allow, had not 
this man-of-war taken it into her head to follow us in this 
unprecedented manner.&quot; Mr. Dodge was as fond of his 
dictionary as the steward, though he belonged to the politi 
cal, while Saunders merely adorned the polite school of 
talkers. &quot; Sir George calls it a most uncomfortable pro- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 93 

cedure. You know Sir George Templemore, without 
doubt, Miss Effingham ?&quot; 

&quot; I am aware there is a person of that name on board, 
sir,&quot; returned Eve, who recoiled from this familiarity with 
the sensitiveness with which a well-educated female distin 
guishes between one who appreciates her character and one 
who does net ;&quot; &quot; but have never had the honour of his ac 
quaintance.&quot; 

Mr. Dodge thought all this extraordinary, for he had 
witnessed Captain Truck s introduction, and did not under 
stand how people who had sailed twenty-four hours in the 
same ship, and had been fairly introduced, should not be 
intimate. As for himself, he fancied he was, what he 
termed, &quot; well acquainted&quot; with the Effinghams, from hav 
ing talked of them a great deal ignorantly, and not a little 
maliciously ; a liberty he felt himself fully entitled to take, 
from the circumstance of residing in the same county, al 
though he had never spoken to one of the family, until ac 
cident placed him in their company on board the same 
vessel. 

&quot; Sir George is a gentleman of great accomplishments, 
Miss Effingham, I assure you ; a man of unqualified merit. 
We have the same state-room, for I like company, and pre 
fer chatting a little in my berth to being always asleep. He 
is a baronet, I suppose you know, not that I care any 
thing for titles, all men being equal in truth, though 
though &quot; 

&quot; Unequal in reality, sir, you probably meant to add,&quot; 
observed John Effingham, who was lolling on Eve s work- 
stand, his eagle-shaped face fairly curling with the con 
tempt he felt, and which he hardly cared to conceal. 

&quot; Surely not, sir !&quot; exclaimed the terrified Steadfast, 
looking furtively about, lest some active enemy might be 
at hand to quote this unhappy remark to his prejudice. 
&quot; Surely not ! men are every way equal, and no one can 
pretend to be better than another. No, no, it is nothing 
to me that Sir George is a baronet ; though one would pre 
fer having a gentleman in the same state-room to having a 
coarse fellow. Sir George thinks, sir, that the ship is run 
ning into great danger by steering for the land in so dark 
a night, and in such dirty weather. He has many out-of 


94 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

the-way expressions, Sir George, I must admit, for one of 
his rank ; he calls the weather dirty, and the proceedings 
uncomfortable ; modes of expression, gentlemen, to which 
I give an unqualified disapprobation.&quot; 

&quot; Probably Sir George would attach more importance to 
a qualified disapprobation,&quot; retorted John Effingham. 

&quot; Quite likely,&quot; returned Mr. Dodge innocently, though the 
two other visiters, Eve and Mademoiselle Viefville, permitted 
slight muscular movements about the lips to be seen : &quot; Sir 
George is quite an original in his way. We have few ori 
ginals in our part of the country, you know, Mr. John 
Effingham ; for to say the truth, it is rather unpopular to 
differ from the neighbourhood, in this or any other respect. 
Yes, sir, the people will rule, and ought to rule. Still, I 
think Sir George may get along well enough as a stranger, 
for it is not quite as unpopular in a stranger to be original, 
as in a native. I think you will agree with me, sir, in be 
lieving it excessively presuming in an American to pretend 
to be different from his fellow-citizens.&quot; 

&quot; No one, sir, could entertain such presumption, I am 
persuaded, in your case.&quot; 

&quot; No, sir, I do not speak from personal motives ; but on 
the great general principles, that are to be maintained for 
the gocd of mankind. I do not know that any man has a 
right to be peculiar in a free country. It is aristocratic, 
and has an air of thinking one man is better than another. 
I am sure Mr. Effingham cannot approve of it ?&quot; 

&quot; Perhaps not. Freedom has many arbitrary laws that 
it will not do to violate.&quot; 

&quot; Certainly, sir, or where would be its supremacy? If 
the people cannot control and look down peculiarity, or any 
thing they dislike, one might as well live in despotism at 
once.&quot; 

&quot; As I have resided much abroad, of late years, Mr. 
Dodge,&quot; inquired Eve, who was fearful her kinsman would 
give some cut that would prove to be past bearing, as she 
saw his eye was menacing, and who felt a disposition to be 
amused at the other s philosophy, that overcame the attrac 
tion of repulsion she had at first experienced towards him 
* will you favour me with some of those great principles 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 95 

of liberty of which I hear so much, but which, I fear, have 
been overlooked by my European instructers ?&quot; 

Mademoiselle Viefville looked grave ; Messrs. Sharp and 
Blunt delighted ; Mr. Dodge, himself, mystified. 

&quot; I should feel myself little able to instruct Miss Effing- 
ham on such a subject,&quot; the latter modestly replied, &quot; as no 
doubt she has seen too much misery in the nations she has 
visited, not to appreciate justly all the advantages of that 
happy country which has the honour of claiming her for 
one of its fair daughters.&quot; 

Eve was terrified at her own temerity, for she was far 
from anticipating so high a flight of eloquence in return for 
her own simple request, but it was too late to retreat. 

&quot; None of the many illustrious and god-like men that 
our own beloved land has produced can pretend to more 
zeal in its behalf than myself, but I fear my abilities to do 
it justice will fall far short of the subject,&quot; he continued. 
&quot; Liberty, as you know, Miss Effingham, as you well know, 
gentlemen, is a boon that merits our unqualified gratitude, 
and which calls for our daily and hourly thanks to the gal- 
lant spirits who, in the days that tried men s souls, were 
foremost in the tented field, and in the councils of the nation.&quot; 

John Effingham turned a glance at Eve, that seemed to 
tell her how unequal she was to the task she had under 
taken, and which promised a rescue, with her consent ; a 
condition that the young lady most gladly complied with in 
the same silent but expressive manner. 

&quot; Of all this my young kinswoman is properly sensible, 
Mr. Dodge,&quot; he said by way of diversion ; &quot; but she, and I 
confess myself, have some little perplexity on the subject 
of what this liberty is, about which so much has been said 
and written in our time. Permit me to inquire, if you un 
derstand by it a perfect independence of thought, action, 
and rights ?&quot; 

&quot; Equal laws, equal rights, equality in all respects, and 
pure, abstract, unqualified liberty, beyond all question, sir.&quot; 

&quot; What, a power in the strong man to beat the little man, 
and to take away his dinner?&quot; 

&quot; By no means, sir ; Heaven forbid that I should main 
tain any such doctrine ! It means entire liberty : no kings, 


96 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

no aristocrats, no exclusive privileges ; but one man as good 
as another!&quot; 

Do you understand, then, that one man is as good as 
another, under our system, Mr. Dodge ?&quot; 

&quot; Unqualifiedly so, sir ; I am amazed that such a question 
should be put by a gentleman of your information, in an 
age like this !&quot; 

&quot; If one man is as good as another,&quot; said Mr. Blunt, who 
perceived that John Effingham was biting his lips, a sign 
that something more biting would follow, &quot; will you do 
me the favour to inform me, why the country puts itself to 
the trouble and expense of the annual elections ?&quot; 

&quot; Elections, sir ! In what manner could free institutions 
flourish or be maintained, without constantly appealing to 
the people, the only true sources of power ?&quot; 

&quot; To this I make no objections, Mr. Dodge,&quot; returned the 
young man, smiling ; &quot; but why an election ; if one man 
is as good as another, a lottery would be cheaper, easier, 
and sooner settled. Why an election, or even a lottery at 
all ? why not choose the President as the Persians chose 
their king, by the neighing of a horse 1 

&quot; This would be indeed an extraordinary mode of pro 
ceeding for an intelligent and virtuous people, Mr. Blunt ; 
and I must take the liberty of saying that I suspect you of 
pleasantry. If you wish an answer, I will say, at once 
by such a process we might get a knave, or a fool, or a 
traitor.&quot; 

&quot; How, Mr. Dodge ! I did not expect this character of 
the country from you ! Are the Americans, then, all fools, 
or knaves, or traitors ?&quot; 

&quot; If you intend to travel much in our country, sir, I would 
advise great caution in throwing out such an insinuation, 
for it would be apt to meet with a very general and unqual 
ified disapprobation. Americans are enlightened and free, 
and as far from deserving these epithets as any people on 
earth.&quot; 

&quot; And yet the fact follows from your own theory. If one 
man is as good as another, and any one of them is a fool, 
or a knave, or a traitor, all are knaves, or fools, or trai 
tors ! The insinuation is not mine, but it follows, I think, 
inevitably, as a consequence of your own proposition.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 97 

In the pause that succeeded, Mr. Sharp said in a low 
voice to Eve, &quot; He is an Englishman, after all !&quot; 

&quot; Mr. Dodge does not mean that one man is as good as 
another in that particular sense,&quot; Mr. Effingham kindly 
interposed, in his quality of host ; &quot; his views are less gene 
ral, I fancy, than his words would give us, at first, reason 
to suppose.&quot; 

&quot; Very true, Mr. Effingham, very true, sir ; one man is 
not as good as another in that particular sense, or in the 
sense of elections, but in all other senses. Yes, sir,&quot; turn 
ing towards Mr. Blunt again, as one reviews the attack on 
an antagonist, who has given a fall, after taking breath ; 
&quot; in all other senses, one man is unqualifiedly as good as 
another. One man has the same rights as another.&quot; 
&quot; The slave as the freeman ?&quot; 

&quot; The slaves are exceptions, sir. But in the free states 
except in the case of elections, one man is as good as an 
other in all things. That is our meaning, and any other 
principle would be unqualifiedly unpopular.&quot; 

&quot; Can one man make a shoe as well as another ?&quot; 
&quot; Of rights, sir, I stick to the rights, you will remem 
ber.&quot; 

Has the minor the same rights as the man of full age ; 
the apprentice as the master ; the vagabond as the resident ; 
the man who cannot pay as the man who can ?&quot; 

&quot; No, sir, not in that sense either. You do not under 
stand me, sir, I fear. All that I mean is, that in particular 
things, one man is as good as another in America. This 
is American doctrine, though it may not happen to be 
English, and I flatter myself it will stand the test of the 
strictest investigation.&quot; 

&quot; And you will allow me to inquire where this is not the 
case, in particular things. If you mean to say that there 
are fewer privileges accorded to the accidents of birth, or to 
fortune and station in America, than is usual in other coun 
tries, we shall agree ; but I think it will hardly do to say 
there are none !&quot; 

&quot; Privileges accorded to birth in America, sir ! The idea 
would be odious to her people !&quot; ^ 

&quot; Does not the child inherit the property of the father T 
9 


98 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; Most assuredly ; but this can hardly be termed a privi- 
lege.&quot; 

&quot; That may depend a good deal on taste. I should ac 
count it a greater privilege than to inherit a title without the 
fortune.&quot; 

&quot; I perceive, gentlemen, that we do not perfectly under 
stand each other, and I must postpone the discussion to a 
more favourable opportunity ; for I confess great uneasiness 
at this decision of the captain s, about steering in among 
the rocks of Sylla.&quot; (Mr. Dodge was not as clear-headed 
as common, in consequence of the controversy that had just 
occurred.) &quot; I challenge you to renew the subject another 
time, gentlemen. I only happened in&quot; (another peculiarity 
of diction in this gentleman) &quot; to make a first call, for I 
suppose there is no exclusion in an American ship?&quot; 

&quot; None whatever, sir,&quot; Mr. John Effingham coldly an 
swered. &quot; All the state-rooms are in common, and I pro 
pose to seize an early occasion to return this compliment, by 
making myself at home in the apartment which has the 
honour to lodge Mr. Dodge and Sir George Templemore.&quot; 

Here Mr. Dodge beat a retreat, without touching at all 
on his real errand. Instead of even following up the mat 
ter with the other passengers, he got into a corner, with 
one or two congenial spirits, who had taken great offence 
that the Effinghams should presume to retire into their 
cabin, and particularly that they should have the extreme 
aristocratical audacity to shut the door, where he continued 
pouring into the greedy ears of his companions his own 
history of the recent dialogue, in which, according to his 
own account of the matter, he had completely gotten the 
better of that &quot; young upstart, Blunt,&quot; a man of whom he 
knew positively nothing, divers anecdotes of the Effingham 
family, that came of the lowest and most idle gossip of rus 
tic malignancy, and his own vague and confused notions 
of the rights of persons and of things. Very different was 
the conversation that ensued in the ladies cabin, after the 
welcome disappearance of the uninvited guest. Not a re 
mark of any sort was made on his intrusion, or on his folly ; 
even John Effingham, little addicted in common to forbeai- 
ance, being too proud to waste his breath on so low game, 
and too well taught to open upon a man the moment his 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 99 

back was turned. But the subject was continued, and in a 
manner better suited to the education, intelligence, and 
views of the several speakers. 

Eve said but little, though she ventured to ask a question 
now and then ; Mr. Sharp and Mr. Blunt being the prin 
cipal supporters of the discourse, with an occasional quiet, 
discreet remark from the young lady s father, and a sar 
casm, now and then, from John Effingham. Mr. Blunt, 
though advancing his opinions with diffidence, and with a 
proper deference for the greater experience of the two elder 
gentlemen, soon made his superiority apparent, the subject 
proving to be one on which he had evidently thought a 
great deal, and that too with a discrimination and originality 
that are far from common. 

He pointed out the errors that are usually made on the 
subject of the institutions of the American Union, by con 
founding the effects of the general government with those 
of the separate states ; and he clearly demonstrated that 
the Confederation itself had, in reality, no distinctive cha 
racter of its own, even for or against liberty. It was a 
confederation, and got its character from the characters of 
its several parts, which of themselves were independent in 
all things, on the important point of distinctive principles, 
with the exception of the vague general provision that they 
must be republics ; a provision that meant anything, or 
nothing, so far as true liberty was concerned, as each state 
might decide for itself. 

&quot; The character of the American government is to be 
sought in the characters of the state governments,&quot; he con 
cluded, &quot; which vary with their respective policies. It is in 
this way that communities that hold one half of their num 
bers in domestic bondage are found tied up in the same 
political fasces with other communities of the most demo 
cratic institutions. The general government assures neither 
liberty of speech, liberty of conscience, action, nor of any 
thing else, except as against itself; a provision that is quite 
unnecessary, as it is purely a government of delegated 
powers, arid has no authority to act at all on those par 
ticular interests.&quot; 

&quot; This is very different from the general impression in 
Europe,&quot; observed Mr. Sharp ; &quot; and as I perceive I have 


100 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

the good fortune to be thrown into the society of an Amer* 
ican, if not an American lawyer, able to enlighten my 
ignorance on these interesting topics, I hope to be permitted, 
during some of the idle moments, of which we are likely to 
have many, to profit by it.&quot; 

The other coloured, bowed to the compliment, but ap. 
peared to hesitate before he answered. 

&quot; T is not absolutely necessary to be an American by 
birth,&quot; he said, &quot; as I have already had occasion to observe, 
in order to understand the institutions of the country, and 
I might possibly mislead you were you to fancy that a na 
tive was your instructer. I have often been in the country, 
however, if not born in it, and few young men, on this side 
of the Atlantic, have had their attention pointed, with so 
much earnestness, to all that affects it as myself.&quot; 

&quot; I was in hopes we had the honour of including you&quot; 
among our countrymen,&quot; observed John Effingham, with 
evident disappointment. &quot; So many young men come 
abroad disposed to quarrel with foreign excellences, of 
which they know nothing, or to concede so many of our 
own, in the true spirit of serviles, that I was flattering my 
self I had at last found an exception.&quot; 

Eve also felt regret, though she hardly avowed to herself 
the reason. 

&quot; He is then, an Englishman, after all !&quot; said Mr. Sharp, 
in another aside. 

&quot; Why not a German or a Swiss or even a Russian?&quot; 

* His English is perfect ; no continental could speak so 
fluently, with such a choice of words, so totally without an 
accent, without an effort. As Mademoiselle Viefville says, 
he does not speak well enough for a foreigner.&quot; 

Eve was silent, for she was thinking of the singular 
manner in which a conversation so oddly commenced, had 
brought about an explanation on a point that had often given 
her many doubts. Twenty times had she decided in her 
own mind that this young man, whom she could properly 
call neither stranger nor acquaintance, was a countryman, 
and as often had she been led to change her opinion. He 
had now been explicit, she thought, and she felt compelled 
to set him down as a European, though not disposed, still, 
to believe he was an Englishman. For this latter notion 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 101 

she had reasons it might not have done to give to a native 
of the island they had just left, as she knew to be the fact 
with Mr. Sharp. 

Music succeeded this conversation, Eve having taken the 
precaution to have the piano tuned before quitting port, an 
expedient we would recommend to all who have a regard 
for the instrument that extends beyond its outside, or even 
for their own ears. John Effingham executed brilliantly on 
the violin ; and, as it appeared on inquiry, the two younger 
gentlemen performed respectably on the flute, flageolet, and 
one or two other wind instruments. We shall leave them 
doing great justice to Beethoven, Rossini, and Mayerbeer, 
whose compositions Mr. Dodge did not fail to sneer at in 
the outer cabin, as affected and altogether unworthy of 
attention, and return on deck to the company of the anxious 
master. 

Captain Truck had continued to pace the deck moodily 
and alone, during the whole evening, and he only seemed 
to come to a recollection of himself when the relief passed 
him on his way to the wheel, at eight bells. Inquiring the 
hour, he got into the mizzen rigging, with a night-glass, and 
swept the horizon in search of the Foam. Nothing could 
be made out, the darkness having settled upon the water in 
a way to circumscribe the visible horizon to very narrow 
limits. 

&quot; This may do,&quot; he muttered to himself, as he swung off 
by a rope, and alighted again on the planks of the deck. 
Mr. Leach was summoned, and an order was passed for 
the relieved watch to remain on deck for duty. 

When all was ready, the first mate went through the 
ship, seeing that all the candles were extinguished, or that 
the hoods were drawn over the sky-lights, in such a way 
as to conceal any rays that might gleam upwards from the 
cabin. At the same time attention was paid to the binnacle 
lamp. This precaution observed, the people went to work 
to reduce the sail, and in the course of twenty minutes they 
had got in the studding-sails, and all the standing canvas 
to the topsails, the fore-course, and a forward staysail. 
The three topsails were then reefed, with sundry urgent 
commands to the crew to be active, for, &quot; The Englishman 
was coming up like a horse, all this time, no doubt.&quot; 
9* 


103 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

This much effected, the hands returned on deck, as much 
amazed at the several arrangements as if the order had 
been to cut away the masts. 

&quot; If we had a few guns, and were a little stronger-handed,&quot; 
growled an old salt to the second-mate, as he hitched up 
his trousers and rolled over his quid, &quot; I should think the 
hard one, aft, had been stripping for a fight ; but as it is, 
we have nothing to carry on the war with, unless we throw- 
sea-biscuits into the enemy !&quot; 

&quot; Stand by to veer /&quot; called out the captain from the 
quarter-deck ; or, as he pronounced it, &quot; ware&quot; 

The men sprang to the braces, and the bows of the ship 
fell off gradually, as the yards yielded slowly to the drag. 
In a minute the Montauk was rolling dead before it, and her 
broadside came sweeping up to the wind with the ship s 
head to the eastward. This new direction in the course 
had the double effect of hauling off the land, and of diverg 
ing at more than right angles from the line of sailing of the 
Foam, if that ship still continued in pursuit. The seamen 
nodded their heads at each other in approbation, for all now 
as well understood the meaning of the change as if it had 
been explained to them verbally. 

The revolution on deck produced as sudden a revolution 
below. The ship was no longer running easily on an even 
keel, but was pitching violently into a head-beating sea, and 
the wind, which a few minutes before, was scarcely felt to 
blow, was now whistling its hundred strains among the 
cordage. Some sought their berths, among whom were 
Mr. Sharp and Mr. Dodge ; some hurried up the stairs to 
learn the reason, and all broke up their avocations for the 
night. 

Captain Truck had the usual number of questions to an 
swer, which he did in the following succinct and graphic 
manner, a reply that we hope will prove as satisfactory to 
the reader, as it was made to be, perforce, satisfactory to 
the curious on board. 

&quot; Had we stood on an hour longer, gentlemen, we should 
have been lost on the coast of Cornwall !&quot; he said, pithily : 
&quot; had we stopped where we were, the sloop-of-war would 
have been down upon us in twenty minutes : by changing 
the course, in the way you have seen, he may get to lee- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. J 03 

ward of us ; if he find it out, he may change his own 
course, in the dark, being as likely to go wrong as to go 
right ; or he may stand in, and set up the ribs of his ma 
jesty s ship Foam to dry among the rocks of the Lizard, 
where I hope all her people will get safely ashore, dry shod.&quot; 

After waiting the result anxiously for an hour, the pas 
sengers retired to their rooms one by one ; but Captain 
Truck did not quit the deck until the middle watch was set. 
Paul Blunt heard him enter his state-room, which was next 
to his own, and putting out his head, he inquired the news 
above. The worthy master had discovered something about 
this young man which created a respect for his nautical in 
formation, for he never misapplied a term, and he invariably 
answered all his questions promptly, and with respect. 

&quot; Dirtier, and dirtier,&quot; he said, in defiance of Mr. Dodge s 
opinion of the phrase, pulling off his pee-jacket, and laying 
aside his sow- wester ; &quot; a cap-full of wind, with just enough 
drizzle to take the comfort out of a man, and lacker him 
down like a boot.&quot; 

&quot; The ship has gone about ?&quot; 

&quot; Like a dancing-master with two toes. We have got 
her head to the southward and westward again ; another 
reef in the topsails,&quot; (which word Mr. Truck pronounced 
tawsails, with great unction,) &quot; England well under our lee, 
and the Atlantic ocean right before us. Six hours on this 
course, and we make a fair wind of it.&quot; 

&quot; And the sloop ?&quot; 


104 HOMEWARD BOUND. 


CHAPTER IX. 


The moon was now 

Rising full orbed, but broken by a cloud. 
The wind was hushed, and the sea mirror-like 

ITALY. 


MOST of the passengers appeared on deck soon aftei 
Saunders was again heard rattling among his glasses. The 
day was sufficiently advanced to allow a distinct view of 
all that was passing, and the wind had shifted. The change 
had not occurred more than ten minutes, and as most of the 
inmates of the cabin poured up the cabin-stairs nearly in a 
body, Mr. Leach had just got through with the necessary 
operation of bracing the yards about, for the breeze, which 
was coming stiff, now blew from the northeast. No land 
was visible, and the mate was just giving his opinion that 
they were up with Scilly, as Captain Truck appeared in 
the group. 

One glance aloft, and another at the heavens, sufficed to 
let the experienced master into all the secrets of his present 
situation. His next step was to jump into the rigging, and 
to take a look at the sea, in the direction of the Lizard. 
There, to his extreme disappointment, appeared a ship with 
everything set that would draw, and with a studding-sail 
flapping, before it could be drawn down, which he knew in 
an instant to be the Foam. At this spectacle Mr. Truck 
compressed his lips, and made an inward imprecation, that 
it would ill comport with our notions of propriety to repeat. 

&quot; Turn the hands up and shake out the reefs, sir,&quot; he 
said coolly to his mate, for it was a standing rule of the 
captain s to seem calmest when he was in the greatest rage. 
&quot; Turn them up, sir, and show every rag that will draw, 
from the truck to the lower studding-sail boom, and be d d 
to them !&quot; 

On this hint Mr. Leach bestirred himself, and the men 
were quickly on the yards, casting loose gaskets and reef- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 105 

points. Sail opened after sail, and as tfte steerage passen 
gers, who could show a force of thirty or forty men, aided 
with their strength, the Montauk was soon running dead 
before the wind, under every thing that would draw, and 
with studding-sails on both sides. The mates looked sur 
prised, the seamen cast inquiring glances aft, but Mr. Truck 
lighted a cigar. 

&quot; Gentlemen,&quot; said the captain, after a few philosophical 
whiffs, &quot; to go to America with yonder fellow on my wea 
ther beam is quite out of the question : he would be up with 
me, and in possession, before ten o clock, and my only play 
is to bring the wind right over the taffrail, where, luckily, 
we have got it. I think we can bother him at this sport, 
for your sharp bottoms are not as good as your kettle-bot 
toms in ploughing a full furrow. As for bearing her can 
vas, the Montauk will stand it as long as any ship in King 
William s navy, before the gale. And on one thing you 
may rely ; I 11 carry you all into Lisbon, before that to 
bacco-hating rover shall carry you back to Portsmouth. 
This is a category to which I will stick.&quot; 

This characteristic explanation served to let the passen* 
gers understand the real state of the case. No one remon 
strated, for all preferred a race to being taken ; and even 
the Englishmen on board began again to take sides with 
the vessel they were in, and this the more readily, as Cap 
tain Truck freely admitted that their cruiser was too much 
for him on every tack but the one he was about to try. 
Mr. Sharp hoped that they might now escape, and as for 
Sir George Templemore, he generously repeated his offer 
to pay, out of his own pocket, all the port-charges in any 
French, Spanish, or Portuguese harbour, the master would 
enter, rather than see such an outrage done a foreign vessel 
in a time of profound peace. 

The expedient of Captain Truck proved his judgment, 
and his knowledge of his profession. Within an hour it 
was apparent that, if there was any essential difference in 
the sailing of the two ships under the present circumstances, 
it was slightly in favour of the Montauk. The Foam now 
set her ensign for the first tirn^e, a signal that she wished tc 
- the ship in sight. At this Captain Truck chuckled, 


106 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

for he pronounced it a sign that she was conscious sho 
could not get them within range of her guns. 

&quot; Show him the gridiron,&quot; cried the captain, briskly ; &quot; it- 
will not do to be beaten in civility by a man who has beaten 
us already on so many other tacks ; but keep all fast as a 
church-door on a week-day.&quot; 

This latter comparison was probably owing to the cir 
cumstance of the master s having come from a part of the 
country where all the religion is compressed into the twenty- 
four hours that commence on a Saturday-night at sunset, 
and end at sunset the next day : at least, this was his own 
explanation of the matter. The effect of success was 
always to make Mr. Truck loquacious, and he now began 
to tell many excellent anecdotes, of which he had stores, all 
of events that had happened to him in person, or of which 
he had been an eye-witness ; and on which his hearers, as 
Sancho said, might so certainly depend as true, that, if they 
chose, they might safely swear they had seen them them 
selves. 

&quot; Speaking of churches and doors, Sir George,&quot; he said, 
between the puffs of the cigar, &quot; were you ever in Rhode 
Island?&quot; 

&quot; Never, as this is my first visit to America, captain.&quot; 

&quot; True ; well, you will be likely to go there, if yo i go to 
Boston, as it is the best way ; unless you would prefer to 
run over Nantucket shoals, and a hundred miles of ditto, 
as Mr. Dodge calls it.&quot; 

&quot; Ditter ) captain, if you please ditter : it is the conti 
nental word for round-about.&quot; 

&quot; The d 1 it is ! it is worth knoving, however. And 

what may be the French for pee-jacket I&quot; 

&quot; You mistake me, sir, ditter, a circuit, or the longer 
way.&quot; 

&quot; That is the road we are now travelling, by George ! 
I say, Leach, do you happen to know that we are making 
a ditter to America 1&quot; 

&quot; You were speaking of a church, Captain Truck,&quot; po 
litely interposed Sir George, who had become rather inti 
mate with his iel low-occupant of the state-room. 

&quot; I was travelling through that state, a few years since, 
on my way from Providence to New London, at a time 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 107 

when a new road had just been opened. It was on a Sun- 
day, and the stage a four-horse power, you must know 
had never yet run through on the Lord s-day. Well, we 
might be, as it were, off here at right angles to our course, 
and there was a short turn in the road, as one would say, 
out yonder. As we hove in sight of the turn, I saw a 
chap at the mast-head of a tree ; down he slid, and away 
he went right before it, towards a meeting-house two or 
three cables length down the road. We followed at a smart 
jog, and just before we got the church abeam, out poured 
the whole congregation, horse and foot, parson and idlers, 
sinners and hypocrites, to see the four-horse power go past. 
Now this is what I call keeping the church-door open on a 
Sunday.&quot; 

We might have hesitated about recording this anecdote 
of the captain s, had we not received an account of the 
same occurrence from a quarter that left no doubt that his 
version of the affair was substantially correct. This and 
a few similar adventures, some of which he invented, and all 
of which he swore were literal, enabled the worthy master 
to keep the quarter-deck in good humour, while the ship 
was running at the rate of ten knots the hour in a line so 
far diverging from her true course. But the relief to lands 
men is so great, in general, in meeting with a fai^ wind at 
sea, that few are disposed tp quarrel with its consequences. 
A bright day, a steady ship, the pleasure of motion as they 
raced with the combing seas, and the interest of the chase, 
set every one at ease ; v and even Steadfast Dodge was less 
devoured with envy, a jealousy of his own deservings, and 
the desire of management, than usual. Not an introduction 
occurred, and yet the little world of the ship got to be bet 
ter acquainted with each other in the course of that day, 
than would have happened in months of the usual collision 
on land. 

The Montauk continued to gain on her pursuer until the 
sun set, when Captain Truck began once more to cast about 
him for the chances of the night. He knew that the ship 
was running into the mouth of the Bay of Biscay, or at 
least was fast approaching it, and he bethought him of the 
means of getting to the westward. The night promised to 
be anything but dark, for though a good many wild-looking 


108 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

clouds were by this time scudding athwart the heavens, the 
moon diffused a sort of twilight gleam in the air. Waiting 
patiently, however, until the middle-watch was again called, 
he reduced sail, and hauled the ship off to a south-west 
course, hoping by this slight change insensibly to gain an 
offing before the Foam was aware of it ; a scheme that he 
thought more likely to be successful, as by dint of sheer 
driving throughout the day, he had actually caused the 
courses of that vessel to dip before the night shut in. 

Even the most vigilant become weary of watching, and 
Captain Truck was unpleasantly disturbed next morning by 
an alarm that the Foam was just out of gun-shot, coming 
up with them fast. On gaining the deck, he found the fact 
indisputable. Favoured by the change in the course, the 
cruiser had been gradually gaining on the Montauk ever 
since the first watch was relieved, and had indeed lessened 
the distance between the respective ships by two-thirds. 
No remedy remained but to try the old expedient of getting 
the wind over the taffrail once more, and of showing all the 
canvas that could be spread. As like causes are known to 
produce like effects, the expedient brought about the old re 
sults. The packet had the best of it, and the sloop-of-war 
slowly fell astern. Mr. Truck now declared he would make 
a &quot; regular business of it,&quot; and accordingly he drove his 
ship in that direction throughout the day, the following 
night, and until near noon of the day which succeeded, 
varying his course slightly to suit the wind, which he stu 
diously kept so near aft as to allow the studding-sails to 
draw on both sides. At meridian, on the fourth day out, 
the captain got a good observation, and ascertained that the 
ship was in the latitude of Oporto, with an offing of less 
than a degree. At this time the top-gallant saifs of tho 
Foam might be discovered from the deck, resembling a boat 
clinging to the watery horizon. As he had fully made up 
his mind to run into port in preference to being overhauled, 
the master had kept so near the land, with an intention of 
profiting by his position, in the event of any change fa 
vouring his pursuers; but he now believed that at sunset he 
should be safe in finally shaping his course for America. 

&quot; There must be double-fortified eyes aboard that fellow 
to see what we are about at this distance, when the night is 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 109 

once shut in,&quot; he said to Mr. Leach, who seconded all his 
orders with obedient zeal, &quot; and we will watch our moment 
to slip out fairly into the great prairie, and then we shall 
discover who best knows the trail! You ll be for trotting 
off to the prairies, Sir George, as soon as we get in, and 
for trying your hand at the buffaloes, like all the rest of 
them. Ten years since, if an Englishman came to look at 
us, he was afraid of being scalped in Broadway, and now 
he is never satisfied unless he is astraddle of the Rocky 
Mountains in the first fortnight. I take over lots of cock- 
ny-hunters every summer, who just get a shot at a grizzly 
bear or two, or at an antelope, and come back in time for 
the opening of Drury Lane.&quot; 

&quot; Should we not be more certain of accomplishing your 
plans, by seeking -refuge in Lisbon for a day or two ? I 
confess now I should like to see Lisbon, and as for the port- 
charges, I would rather pay them twice, than that this poor 
man should be torn from his wife. On this point I hope, 
Captain Truck, I have made myself sufficiently explicit.&quot; 

Captain Truck shook the baronet heartily by the hand, 
as he always did when this offer was renewed, declaring 
that his feelings did him honour. 

&quot; Never fear for Davis,&quot; he said. &quot; Old Grab shall not 
have him this tack, nor the Foam neither. I ll throw him 
overboard before such a disgrace befall us or him. Well, 
this leech has driven us from the old road, and nothing now 
remains but to make the southern passage, unless the wind 
prevail at south.&quot; 

The Montauk, in truth, had not much varied from a 
course that was once greatly in favour with the London 
ships, Lisbon and New York being nearly in the same 
parallel of latitude, and the currents, if properly improved, 
often favouring the run. It is true, the Montauk had kept 
closer in with the continent by a long distance than was 
usual, even for the passage he had named ; but the peculiar 
circumstances of the chase had left no alternative, as the 
master explained to his listeners. 

&quot; It was a coasting voyage, or a tow back to Ports? 
mouth, Sir George,&quot; he said, &quot; and of the two, I know 
you like the Montauk too well to wish to be quit of her so 
soon.&quot; 

10 


110 HOMEWARD BOUND* 

To this the baronet gave a willing assent, protesting that 
his feelings had got so much enlisted on the side of the ves 
sel he was in, that he would cheerfully forfeit a thousand 
pounds rather than be overtaken. The master assured him 
that was just what he liked, and swore that he was the sort 
of passenger he most delighted in. 

&quot; When a man puts his foot on the deck of a ship, Sir 
George, he should look upon her as his home, his church, 
his wife and children, his uncles and aunts, and all the 
other lumber ashore. This is the sentiment to make sea 
men. Now, I entertain a greater regard for the shortest 
ropeyarn aboard this ship, than for the topsail-sheets or best 
bower of any other vessel. It is like a man s loving his 
own finger, or toe, before another person s. I have heard 
it said that one should love his neighbour as well as him 
self; but for my part I love my ship better than my neigh 
bour s, or my neighbour himself; and I fancy, if the truth 
were known, my neighbour pays me back in the same coin ! 
For my part, I like a thing because it is mine.&quot; 

A little before dark the head of the Montauk was inclined 
towards Lisbon, as if her intention was to run in, but the 
moment the dark spot that pointed out the position of the 
Foam was lost in the haze of the horizon, Captain Truck 
gave the order to &quot; tcare,&quot; and sail was made to the west- 
south-west. 

Most of the passengers felt an intense curiosity to know 
the state of things on the following morning, and all the 
men among them were dressed and on deck just as the day 
began to break. The wind had been fresh and steady all 
night, and as the ship had been kept with her yards a little 
checked, and topmast studding-sails set, the officers reported 
her to be at least a hundred miles to the westward of the 
spot where she veered. The reader will imagine the dis 
appointment the latter experienced, then, when they beheld 
the Foam a little on their weather-quarter, edging away for 
them as assiduously as she had been hauling up for them 
the night they sailed from Portsmouth, distant little more 
than a league ! 

&quot; This is indeed extraordinary perseverance,&quot; said Paul 
Blunt to Eve, at whose side he was standing at the moment 


HOMEWARD BOUND. Ill 

the fact was ascertained, &quot; and I think our captain might 
do well to heave-to and ascertain its cause*&quot; 

I hope not,&quot; cried his companion with vivacity. &quot; I 
confess to an esprit de corps, and a gallant determination 
to see it out, as Mr. Leach styles his own resolution. 
One does not like to be followed about the ocean in this 
manner, unless it be for the interest it gives the voyage. 
After all, how much better is this than dull solitude, and 
what a zest it gives to the monotony of the ocean !&quot; 

&quot; Do you then find the ocean a scene of monotony ?&quot; 

&quot; Such it has oftener appeared to me than anything else, 
and I give it a fair trial, having never le mal de mer. But 
I acquit it of this sin now ; for the interest of a chase, in 
reasonably good weather, is quite equal to that of a horse 
race, which is a thing I delight in. Even Mr. John Effing- 
ham can look radiant under its excitement.&quot; 

&quot; And when this is the case, he is singularly handsome ; 
a nobler outline of face is seldom^ seen than that of Mr. 
John Effingham.&quot; 

&quot; He has a noble outline of soul, if he did but know it 
himself,&quot; returned Eve, warmly : &quot; I love no one as much 
as he, with the exception of my father, and as Mademoiselle 
Viefville would say, pour cause&quot; 

The young man could have listened all day, but Eve 
smiled, bowed graciously, though with a glistening eye, and 
hastily left the deck, conscious of having betrayed some 
of her most cherished feelings to one who had no claim to 
share them. 

Captain Truck, while vexed to his heart s core, or, as he 
expressed it himself, &quot; struck aback, like an old lady shot 
off a hand-sled in sliding down hill,&quot; was prompt in apply 
ing the old remedy to the evil. The Montauk was again 
put before the wind, sail was made, and the fortunes of the 
chase were once more cast on the &quot; play of the ship.&quot; 

The commander of the Foam certainly deprecated this 
change, for it was hardly made before he set his ensign, and 
fired a gun. But of these signals no other notice was taken 
than to show a flag in return, when the captain and his 
mates proceeded to get the bearings of the sloop-of-war. 
Ten minutes showed they were gaining ; twenty did better ; 
and in an hour she was well on the quarter. 


112 HOMEWARD BOUND 

Another day of strife succeeded, or rather of pure sail 
ing, for not a rope was started on board the Montauk, the 
wind still standing fresh and steady. The sloop made 
many signals, all indicating a desire to speak the Montauk, 
but Captain Truck declared himself too experienced a navi 
gator to be caught by bunting, and in too great a hurry to 
stop and chat by the way. 

&quot; Vattel had laid down no law for such a piece of com 
plaisance, in a time of profound peace. I am not to be 
caught by that category.&quot; 

The result may be anticipated from what has been already 
related. The two ships kept before the wind until the Foam 
was again far astern, and the observations of Captain Truck 
told him, he was as far south as the Azores. In one oi 
these islands he was determined to take refuge, provided he 
was not favoured by accident, for going farther south was 
out of the question, unless absolutely driven to it. Calcu 
lating his distance, on the evening of the sixth day out, he 
found that he might reah an anchorage at Pico, before the 
sloop-of-war could close with him, even allowing the neces 
sity of hauling up again by the wind. 

But Providence had ordered differently. Towards mid 
night, the breeze almost failed and became baffling, and 
when the day dawned the officer of the watch reported that 
it was ahead. The pursuing ship, though still in sight, was 
luckily so far astern and to leeward as to prevent any dan 
ger from a visit by boats, and there was leisure to make the 
preparations that might become necessary on the springing 
up of a new breeze. Of the speedy occurrence of such a 
change there was now every symptom, the heavens lighting 
up at the northwest, a quarter from which the genius of the 
storms mostly delights in making a display of his power. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 113 


CHAPTER X 


I come with mightier things; 
Who calls me silent? I have many tones 
The dark sky thrills with low mysterious moans, 
Borne on my sweeping winds. 

MRS. 1 1 EM A KB. 


THE awaking of the winds on the ocean is frequently 
attended with signs and portents as sublime as any the fancy 
can conceive. On the present occasion, the breeze that had 
prevailed so steadily for a week was succeeded by light baf 
fling puffs, as if, conscious of the mighty powers of the air 
that were assembling in their strength, these inferior blasts 
were hurrying to and fro for a refuge. The clouds, too, 
were whirling about in uncertain eddies, many of the hea 
viest and darkest descending so low along the horizon, that 
they had an appearance of settling on the waters in quest 
of repose. But the waters themselves were unnaturally 
agitated. The billows, no longer following each other in 
long regular waves, were careering upwards, like fiery 
coursers suddenly checked in their mad career. The usual 
order of the eternally unquiet ocean was lost in a species 
of chaotic tossings of the element, the seas heaving them 
selves upward, without order, and frequently without visible 
cause. This was the reaction of the currents, and of the 
influence of breezes still older than the last. Not the least 
fearful symptom of the hour was the terrific calmness of 
the air amid such a scene of menacing wildness. Even the 
ship came into the picture to aid the impression of intense 
expectation ; for with her canvas reduced, she, too, seemed 
to have lost that instinct which had so lately guided her 
along the trackless waste, and was * wallowing,&quot; nearly 
helpless, among the confused waters. Still she was a beau 
tiful and a grand object, perhaps more so at that moment 
than at any other ; for her vast and naked spars, her well- 
supported masts, and all the ingenious and complicated 
hamper of the machine, gave her a resemblance to some 
10* 


114 HOMEWARD fcOUND. 

sinewy and gigantic gladiator, pacing the arena, in waiting 
for the conflict that was at hand. 

&quot; This is an extraordinary scene,&quot; said Eve, who clung 
to her father s arm, as she gazed around her equally in ad 
miration and in awe ; &quot; a dreadful exhibition of the sub 
limity of nature!&quot; 

** Although accustomed to the sea,&quot; returned Mr. Blunt, 
&quot; I have witnessed these ominous changes but twice before, 
and I think this the grandest of them all.&quot; 

&quot; Were the others followed by tempests ?&quot; inquired the 
anxious parent. 

&quot; One brought a tremendous gale, while the other passed 
away like a misfortune of which we get a near view, but 
are permitted to escape the effects.&quot; 

&quot; I do not know that I wish such to be entirely our present 
fortune,&quot; rejoined Eve, &quot; for there is so much sublimity in 
this view of the ocean unaroused, that I feel desirous of 
seeing it when aroused.&quot;. 

&quot; We are not in the hurricane latitudes, or hurricane 
months,&quot; resumed the young man, &quot; and it is not probable 
that there is anything more in reserve for us than a hearty 
gale of wind, which may, at least, help us to get rid of 
yonder troublesome follower.&quot; 

&quot; Even that I do not wish, provided he will let us continue 
the race on our proper route. A chase across the Atlantic 
would be something to enjoy at the moment, gentlemen, and 
something to talk of in after life,&quot; 

&quot; I wonder if such a thing be possible !&quot; exclaimed Mr. 
Sharp ; &quot; it would indeed be an incident to recount to 
another generation !&quot; 

&quot; There is little probability of our witnessing such an 
exploit,&quot; Mr. Blunt remarked, &quot; for gales of wind on the 
ocean have the same separating influence on consorts of 
the sea, that domestic gales have on consorts of the land. 
Nothing is more difficult than to keep ships and fleets in 
sight of each other in very heavy weather, unless, indeed, 
those of the best qualities are disposed to humour those of 
the worsti&quot; 

&quot; I know not which may be called the best, or which the 
worst, in this instance, /or our tormentor appears to be as 
much better than ourselves in some particulars, as we are 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 115 

better than he in others. If the humouring is to come from 
our honest captain, it will be some such humouring as the 
spoiled child gets from a capricious parent in moments of 
anger.&quot; 

Mr. Truck passed the group at that instant, and heard 
his name coupled with the word honest, in the mouth of 
Eve, though he lost the rest of the sentence. 

&quot; Thank you for the compliment, my dear young lady,&quot; 
he said ; &quot; and I wish I could persuade Captain Somebody, 
of his Britannic Majesty s ship Foam, to be of the same 
way of thinking. It is all because he will not fancy me 
honest in the article of tobacco, that he has got the Montauk 
down here, on the Spanish coast, where the man who built 
her would not know her ; so unnatural and unseemly is it 
to catch a London liner so far out of her track. I shall 
have to use double care to get the good craft home again.&quot; 

&quot; And why this particular difficulty, captain?&quot; Eve, who 
was amused with Mr. Truck s modes of speech, pleasantly 
inquired. &quot; Is it not equally easy to go from one part of 
the ocean, as from another?&quot; 

&quot; Equally easy ! Bless you, my dear young lady, you 
never made a more capital mistake in your life. Do yofl 
imagine it is as easy to go from London to New York, now, 
as to go from New York to London ?&quot; 

&quot; I am so ignorant as to have made this ridiculous mis 
take, if mistake it be ; nor do I now see why it should be 
otherwise.&quot; 

&quot; Simply because it is up-hill, ma am. As for our posi 
tion here to the eastward of the Azores, the difficulty is 
soon explained. By dint of coaxing I had got the good old 
ship so as to know every inch of the road on the northern 
passage, and now I shall be obliged to wheedle her along 
on a new route, like a shy horse getting through a new 
stable-door. One might as well think of driving a pig 
from his sty, as to get a ship out of her track.&quot; 

&quot; We trust to you to do all this and much more at need. 
But to what will these grand omens lead? Shall we have a 
gale, or is so much magnificent menacing to be taken as an 
empty threat of Nature s ?&quot; 

&quot; That we shall know in the course of the day, Miss 
Effingham, though Nature is no bully, and seldom threatens 


116 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

in vain. There is nothing more curious to study, or which 
needs a nicer eye to detect, than your winds.&quot; 

&quot; Of the latter I am fully persuaded, captain, for they 
are called the viewless winds, you will remember, and the 
greatest authority we possess, speaks of them as being quite 
beyond the knowledge of man : That we may hear the 
sound of the wind, but cannot tell whence it cometh, or 
whither it goeth. &quot; 

&quot; I do not remember the writer you mean, my dear young 
lady,&quot; returned Mr. Truck, quite innocently ; &quot; but he was 
a sensible fellow, for I believe Vattel has never yet dared 
to grapple with the winds. There are people who fancy 
the weather is foretold in the almanack ; but, according to 
my opinion, it is safer to trust a rheumatis of two or three 
years standing. A good, well-established, old-fashioned 
rheumatis I say nothing of your new-fangled diseases, 
like the cholera, and varioloid, and animal magnitudes 
but a good old-fashioned rheumatis , such as people used to 
have when I was a boy, is as certain a barometer as that 
which is at this moment hanging up in the coach-house 
here, within two fathoms of the very spot where we are 
standing. I once had a rheumatis that I set much store 
by, for it would let me know when to look out for easterly 
weather, quite as infallibly as any instrument I ever sailed 
with. I never told you the story of the old Connecticut 
horse-jockey, and the typhoon, I believe ; and as we are 
doing nothing but waiting for the weather to make up its 
mind &quot; 

&quot;The weather to make up its -mind!&quot; exclaimed Eve, 
looking around her in awe at the sublime and terrific gran 
deur of the ocean, of the heavens, and of the pent and 
moody air ; &quot; is there an uncertainty in this ?&quot; 

&quot; Lord bless you ! my dear young lady, the weather is 
often as uncertain, and as undecided, and as hard to please, 
too, as an old girl who gets sudden offers on the same day, 
from a widower with ten children, an attorney with one leg, 
and the parson of the parish. Uncertain, indeed ! Why I 
have known the weather in this grandiloquent condition for 
a whole day. Mr. Dodge, there, will tell you it is making 
up its mind which way it ought to blow, to be popular ; so, 
as we have nothing better to do, Mr. Effingham, I will tell 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 117 

you the story about my neighbour, the horse-jockey. Haul 
ing yards when there is no wind, is like playing on a Jew s- 
harp, at a concert of trombones.&quot; 

Mr. Effingham made a complaisant sign of assent, and 
pressed the arm of the excited Eve for patience. 

&quot; You must know, gentlemen,&quot; the captain commenced, 
looking round to collect as many listeners as possible, for 
he excessively disliked lecturing to small audiences, when 
he had anything to say that he thought particularly clever, 
&quot; you must know that we had formerly many craft that 
went between the river and the islands &quot; 

&quot; The river ?&quot; interrupted the amused Mr. Sharp. 

&quot; Certain ; the Connecticut, I mean ; we all call it the 
river down our way between the river and the West Indies, 
with horses, cattle, and other knick-knacks of that descrip 
tion. Among others was old Joe Bunk, who had followed 
the trade in a high-decked brig for some twenty -three years, 
he and the brig having grown old in company, like man 
and wife. About forty years since, our river ladies began 
to be tired of their bohea, and as there was a good deal said 
in favour of souchong in those days, an excitement was 
got up on the subject, as Mr. Dodge calls it, and it was de 
termined to make an experiment in the new quality, before 
they dipped fairly into the trade. Well, what do you sup 
pose was done in the premises, as Vattel says, my dear 
young lady T 

Eve s eyes were still on the grand and portentous aspect 
of the heavens, but she civilly answered, 

&quot; No doubt they sent to a shop and purchased a sample.&quot; 

&quot; Not they ; they knew too much for that, since any 
rogue of a grocer might cheat them. When the excitement 
had got a little headway on it, they formed a tea society, 
with the parson s wife for presidentess, and her oldest daugh 
ter for secretary. In this way they went to work, until the 
men got into the fever too, and a project was set a-foot to 
Bend a craft to China for a sample of what they wanted.&quot; 

&quot; China !&quot; exclaimed Eve, this time looking the captain 
fairly in the face. 

&quot; China, certain ; it lies off hereaway, you know, round 
on the other side of the earth. Well, whom should they 
choose to go on the errand but old Joe Bunk. The old man 


118 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

had been so often to the islands and back, without knowing 
anything of navigation, they thought he was just their man, 
as there was no such thing as losing him.&quot; 

&quot; One would think he was the very man to get lost,&quot; ob 
served Mr. Effingham, while the captain fitted a fresh cigar; 
for smoke he would, and did, in any company, that was out 
Df the cabin, although he always professed a readiness to 
;ease, if any person disliked the fragrance of tobacco. 

&quot; Not he, sir ; he was just as well off in the Indian Ocean 
as he would be here, for he knew nothing about either. 
Well, Joe fitted up the brig; the Seven Dollies was her 
name; for you must know we had seven ladies in the town, 
who were cally Dolly, and they each of them used to send 
a colt, or a steer, or some other delicate article to the islands 
by Joe, whenever he went ; so he fitted up the Seven Dol 
lies, hoisted in his dollars, and made sail. The last that 
was seen or heard of the old man for eight months, was off 
Montauk, where he was fallen in with, two days out, steer 
ing south-easterly, by compass.&quot; 

&quot; I should think,&quot; observed John Effingham, who began 
to arouse himself as the story proceeded, &quot; that Mrs. Bunk 
must have been very uneasy all this time ?&quot; 

&quot; Not she ; she stuck to the bohea in hopes the souchong 
would arrive before the restoration of the Jews. Arrive it 
did, sure enough, at the end of eight months, and a capital 
adventure it proved for all concerned. Old Joe got a great 
name in the river for the exploit, though how he -got to 
China no one could say, or how he got back again ; or, for 
a long time, how he got the huge heavy silver tea-pot, he 
brought home with him.&quot; . 

&quot; A silver tea-pot ?&quot; 

&quot;Exactly that article. At last the truth came to be 
known ; for it is not an easy matter to hide anything of 
that nature down our way ; it is aristocratic, as Mr. Dodge 
says, to keep a secret. At first they tried Joe with all sorts 
of questions, but he gave them guess for guess. Then 
peop e began to talk, and finally it was fairly whispered 
that the old man had stolen the tea-pot. This brought him 
before the meeting. Law was out of the question, you will 
understand, as there was no evidefecej but the meeting 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 119 

don t stick much at particulars, provided people talk a good 
deal.&quot; 

&quot; And the result ?&quot; asked John Effingham, &quot; I suppose 
the parish took the tea-pot and left Joe the grounds.&quot; 

&quot; You are as far out of the way as we are here, down on 
the coast of Spain ! The truth is just this. The Seven 
Dollies was lying among the rest of them, at anchor, below 
Canton, with the weather as fine as young girls love to see 
it in May, when Joe began to get down his yards, to house 
his masts, and to send out all his spare anchors. He even 
went so far as to get two hawsers fastened to a junk that 
had grounded a little a-head of him. This made a talk 
among the captains of the vessels, and some came on board 
to ask the reason. Joe told them he was getting ready for 
the typhoon ; but when they inquired his reasons for believ 
ing there was to be a typhoon at all, Joe looked solemn, 
shook his head, and said he had reasons enough, but they 
were his own. Had he been explicit, he would have been 
laughed at, but the sight of an old grey-headed man, who 
had been at sea forty years, getting ready in this serious 
manner, set the others at work too ; for ships follow each 
other s movements, like sheep running through a breach in 
the fence. Well, that night the typhoon came in earnest, 
and it blew so hard, that Joe Bunk said he could see the 
houses in the moon, all the air having blown out of the at 
mosphere.&quot; 

&quot;But what has this to do with the teapot, Captain 
Truck?&quot; 

&quot; It is the life and soul of it. The captains in port were 
so delighted with Joe s foreknowledge, that they clubbed, 
and presented him this pot as a testimony of their gratitude 
and esteem. He d got to be popular among them, Mr. 
Dodge, and that was the way they proved it.&quot; 

But, pray, how did he know the storm was approach 
ing?&quot; asked Eve, whose curiosity had been awakened in 
spite of herself. It could not have been that his fore 
knowledge was supernatural.&quot; 

&quot; That no one can say, for Joe was presbyterian-built, as 
we say, kettle-bottomed, and stowed well. The truth was 
not discovered until ten years afterwards, when the old fel 
low got to be a regular cripple, what between rheumatis , 


120 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

old age, and steaming. One day he had an attack of the 
first complaint, and in one of its most severe paroxysms, 
when nature is apt to wince, he roared three times, * a 
typhoon ! a typhoon ! a typhoon ! and the murder was out. 
Sure enough, the next day we had a regular north-easter ; 
but old Joe got no sign of popularity that time. And now, 
when you get to America, gentlemen and ladies, you will 
be able to say you have heard the story of Joe Bunk and 
his tea-pot.&quot; 

Thereupon Captain Truck took two or three hearty whiffs 
of the cigar, turned his face upwards, and permitted the 
smoke to issue forth in a continued stream until it was ex 
hausted, but still keeping his head raised in the inconveni 
ent position it had taken. The eye of the master, fastened 
in this manner on something aloft, was certain to draw 
other eyes in the same direction, and in a few seconds all 
around him were gazing in the same way, though none but 
himself could tell why. 

&quot; Turn up the watch below, Mr. Leach,&quot; Captain Truck 
at length called out, and Eve observed that he threw away 
the cigar, although a fresh one ; a proof, as she fancied, 
that he was preparing for duty. 

The people were soon at their places, and an effort was 
made to get the ship s head round to the southward. 
Although the frightful stillness of the atmosphere rendered 
the manoeuvre difficult, it succeeded in the end, by profiting 
by the passing and fitful currents, that resembled so many 
sighings of the air. The men were then sent on the yards, 
to furl all the canvas, with the exception of the three top 
sails and the fore-course, most of it having been merely 
hauled up to await the result. All those who had ever been 
at sea before, saw in these preparations proof that Captain 
Truck expected the change would be sudden and severe : 
still, as he betrayed no uneasiness, they hoped his measures 
were merely those of prudence. Mr. Effingham could not 
refrain from inquiring, ho wever, if there existed any imme 
diate motives for the preparations that were so actively, 
though not hurriedly, making. 

&quot; This is no affair for the rheumatis ,&quot; returned the face 
tious master, &quot; for, look you here, my worthy sir, and you, 
my dear young lady,&quot; this was a sort of parental famili- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 121 

anty the honest Jack fancied he had a right to take with all 
his unmarried female passengers, in virtue of his office, 
and of his being a bachelor drawing hard upon sixty ; 
&quot; look you here, my dear young lady, and you, too, ma am- 
selle, for you can understand the clouds, I take it, if they 
are not French clouds ; do you not see the manner in which 
those black-looking rascals are putting their heads together? 
They are plotting something quite in their own way, I ll 
warrant you.&quot; 

&quot; The clouds are huddling, and rolling over each other, 
certainly,&quot; returned Eve, who had been struck with the wild 
beauty of their evolutions, &quot; and a noble, though fearful pic 
ture they present ; but I do not understand the particular 
meaning of it, if there be any hidden omen in their airy 
flights.&quot; 

&quot; No rheumatis about you, young lady,&quot; said the cap 
tain, jocularly ; &quot; too young, and handsome, and too mo 
dern, too, I dare say, for that old-fashioned complaint. But 
on one category you may rely, and that is, that nothing in 
nature conspires without an object.&quot; 

&quot;But I do not think vapour whirling in a current of air 
is a conspiracy,&quot; answered Eve, laughing, &quot; though it may 
be a category.&quot; 

&quot; Perhaps not, who knows, however ; for it is as easy 
to suppose that objects understand each other, as that horses 
and dogs understand each other. We know nothing about 
it, and, therefore, it behooves us to say nothing. If man 
kind conversed only of the things they understood, half the 
words might be struck out of the dictionaries. But, as I 
was remarking, those clouds, you can see, are getting to 
gether, and are making ready for a start, since here they 
will not be able to stay much longer.&quot; 

&quot; And what will compel them to disappear ?&quot; 

&quot; Do me the favour to turn your eyes here, to the nor - 
west. You see an opening there that looks like a crouch 
ing lion ; is it not so ?&quot; 

&quot; There is certainly a bright clear streak of sky along 
the margin of the ocean, that has quite lately made its ap 
pearance , does it prove that the wind will blow from that 
quarter ?&quot; 

&quot; Quite as much, my dear young lady, as when you open 


122 HOMEWARD BOUWD. 

your window it proves that you mean to put your head out 
of it.&quot; 

&quot; An act a well-bred young woman very seldom per 
forms,&quot; observed Mademoiselle Viefville ; &quot; and never in a 
town.&quot; 

&quot;No? Well, in our town on the river, the&quot; women s 
heads are half the time out of the windows. But I do not 
pretend, ma amselle, to be expert in proprieties of this sort, 
though I can venture to say that I am somewhat of a judge 
of what the winds would be about when they open their 
shutters. This opening to the nor -west, then, is a sure 
sign of something coming out of the window, well-bred or 
not.&quot; 

&quot; But,&quot; added Eve, &quot; the clouds above us, and those far 
ther south, appear to be hurrying towards your bright open- 
ing, captain, instead of from it.&quot; 

&quot; Quite in nature, gentlemen ; quite in nature, ladies. 
When a man has fully made up his mind to retreat, he 
blusters the most ; and one step forward often promises two 
backward. You often see the stormy petterel sailing at a 
ship as if he meant to come aboard, but he takes good care 
to put his helm down before he is fairly in the rigging. So 
it is with clouds, and all other things in nature. Vattel 
says you may make a show of fight when your necessities 
require it, but that a neutral cannot fire a gun, unless 
against pirates. Now, these clouds are putting the best face 
on the matter, but in a few minutes you will see them 
wheeling as St. Paul did before them.&quot; 

&quot; St. Paul, Captain Truck !&quot; 

&quot; Yes, my dear young lady ; to the right about.&quot; 

Eve frowned, for she disliked some of these nautical 
images, though it was impossible not to smile in secret at 
the queer associations that so often led the well-meaning 
master s discursive discourse. His mind was a strange 
jumble of an early religious education, religious as to 
externals and professions, at least, with subsequent loose 
observation and much worldly experience, and he drew on 
his stock of information, according to his own account of 
the matter, &quot; as Saunders, the steward, cut the butter from 
the firkins, or as it came first.&quot; 

His prediction concerning the clouds proved to be true, 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 123 

for half an hour did not pass before they were seen &quot; scam- 
pering out of the way of the nor -wester,&quot; to use the cap 
tain s figure, &quot; like sheep giving play to the dogs.&quot; The 
horizon brightened with a rapidity almost supernatural, and, 
in a surprisingly short space of time, the whole of that 
frowning vault that had been shadowed by murky and me 
nacing vapour, sporting its gambols in ominous wildness, 
was cleared of everything like a cloud, with the exception 
of a few white, rich, fleecy piles, that were grouped in the 
north, like a battery discharging its artillery on some de 
voted field. 

The ship betrayed the arrival of the wind by a cracking 
of the spars, as they settled into their places, and then the 
huge hull began to push aside the waters, and to come 
under control. The first shock was far from severe, though, 
as the captain determined to bring his vessel up as near his 
course as the direction of the breeze would permit, he soon 
found he had as much canvas spread as she could bear. 
Twenty minutes brought him to a single reef, and half an 
hour to a second. 

By this time attention was drawn to the Foam. The old 
superiority of that cruiser was now apparent again, and 
calculations were made concerning the possibility of avoid 
ing her, if they continued to stand on much longer on the 
present course. The captain had hoped the Montauk would 
have the advantage from her greater bulk, when the two 
vessels should be brought down to close-reefed topsails, as 
he foresaw would be the case ; but he was soon compelled 
to abandon even that hope. Further to the southward he 
was resolved he would not go, as it would be leading him 
too far astray, and, at last, he came to the determination to 
stand towards the islands, which were as near as might be 
in his track, and to anchor in a neutral road-stead, if too 
hard pressed. 

&quot; He cannot get up with us before midnight, Leach,&quot; he 
concluded the conference held with the mate by saying ; 
&quot; and by that time the gate will be at its height, if we are 
to have a gale, and then the gentleman will not be desirous 
of lowering his boats. In the mean time, we shall be driv 
ing in towards the Azores, and it will be nothing out of the 
course of nature, should I find an occasion to play him a 


124 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

trick. As for offering up the Montauk a sacrifice on the 
altar of tobacco, as old Deacon Hourglass used to say in 
his prayers, it is a category to be averted by any catastro 
phe short of condemnation.&quot; 


CHAPTER XI. 


I, that shower dewy light 

Through slumbering leaves, bring storms ! the tempest birth 
Of memory, thought, remorse. Be holy. Earth ! 
I am the solemn iNight ! 

MRS. HEMANS. 


IN this instance, it is not our task to record any of the 
phenomena of the ocean, but a regular, though fierce gale 
of wiryd. One of the first signs of its severity was the dis 
appearance of the passengers from the deck, one shutting 
himself in his room after another, until none remained visi 
ble but John Effingham and Paul Blunt. Both these gen 
tlemen, as it appeared, had made so many passages, and 
had got to be so familiar with ships, that sea-sickness and 
alarms were equally impotent as respects their constitutions 
and temperaments. 

The poor steerage-passengers were no exception, but they 
stole for refuge into their dens, heartily repentant, for the 
time being, at having braved the dangers and discomforts 
of the sea. The gentle wife of Davis would now willingly 
have returned to meet the resentment of her uncle ; and as 
for the bridegroom himself, as Mr. Leach, who passed 
through this scene of abominations to see that all was 
right, described him, &quot; Mr. Grab would not wring him 
for a dish-rloth, if he could see him in his present pickle.&quot; 

Captain Truck chuckled a good deal at this account, for 
he had much the same sympathy for ordinary cases of sea 
sickness, as a kitten feels in the agony of the first mouse it 
has caught, and which it is its sovereign pleasure to play 
with, instead of eating. 

&quot; It serves him right, Mr. Leach, for getting married ; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 125 

and mind you don t fall into the same abuse of your oppor 
tunities,&quot; he said, with an air of self-satisfaction, while 
comparing three or four cigars in the palm of his hand 
doubtful which of the fragrant plump rolls to put into his 
mouth. &quot; Getting married, Mr. Blunt, commonly makes a 
man a fit subject for nausea, and nothing is easier than to 
set the stomach-pump in motion in one of your bride 
grooms ; is not this true as the gospel, Mr. John Effing- 
ham r 

Mr. John Effingham made no reply, but the young man 
who at the moment was admiring his fine form, and the 
noble outline of his features, was singularly struck with the 
bitterness, not to say anguish, of the smile with which he 
bowed a cold assent. All this was lost on Captain Truck r 
who proceeded con amore. 

11 One of the first things that I ask concerning my pas 
sengers is, is he married ? when the answer is no, I set 
him down as a good companion in a gale like this, 01 
as one who can smoke, or crack a joke when a topsail is 
flying out of a bolt-rope, a companion for a category. 
Now, if either of you gentlemen had a wife, she would have 
you under hatches to-day, lest you should slip through a 
scupperhole, or be washed overboard with the spray, or 
have your eye-brows blown away in such a gale, and then 
I should lose the honour of your company. Comfort is too 
precious to be thrown away in matrimony. A man may 
gain foreknowledge by a wife, but he loses free agency. 
As for you, Mr. John Effingham, you must have coiled 
away about half a century of life, and there is not much 
to fear on your account; but Mr. Blunt is still young 
enough to be in danger of a mishap. I wish Neptune 
would come aboard of us, hereaway, and swear you to be 
true and constant to yourself, young gentleman.&quot; 

Paul laughed, coloured slightly, and then rallying, he 
replied in the same voice, 

&quot; At the risk of losing your good opinion, captain, and 
even in the face of this gale, I shall avow myself an advo 
cate of matrimony.&quot; 

&quot; If you will answer me one question, my dear sir, I 
will tell you whether the case is or is not hopeless.&quot; 
11* 


l26 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; In order to assent to this, you will of course see the 
necessity of letting me know what the question is.&quot; 

&quot; Have you made up your mind who the young woman 
shall be ? If that point is settled, I can only recommend 
to you some of Joe Bunk s souchong, and advise you to 
submit, for there is no resisting one s fate. The reason 
your Turks yield so easily to predestination and fate, is the 
number of their wives. Many a book is written to show 
the cause of their submitting their necks so easily to the 
sword and the bow-string. I ve been in Turkey, gentle 
men, and know something of their ways. The reason of 
their submitting so quietly to be beheaded is, that they are 
always ready to hang themselves. How is the fact, sir ? 
have you settled upon the young lady in your own mind or 
not ?&quot; 

Although there was nothing in all this but the permitted 
trifling of boon companions on ship-board, Paul Blunt re 
ceived it with an awkwardness one would hardly have ex 
pected in a young man of his knowledge of the world. He 
reddened, laughed, made an effort to throw the captain to 
a greater distance by reserve, and in the end fairly gave up 
the matter by walking to another part of the deck. Luck 
ily, the attention of the honest master was drawn to the 
ship, at that instant, and Paul flattered himself he was un- 
perceived ; but the shadow of a figure at his elbow startled 
him, and turning quickly, he found Mr. John Effingham at 
his side. 

&quot; Her mother was an angel,&quot; said the latter huskily. &quot; I 
too love her ; but it is as a father.&quot; 

&quot; Sir ! Mr. Effingham ! These are sudden and unex 
pected remarks, and such as I am not prepared for.&quot; 

&quot; Do you think one as jealous of that fair creature as I, 
could have overlooked your passion ? She is loved by 
both of you, and she merits the warmest affection of a thou 
sand. Persevere, for while I have no voice, and, I fear, 
little influence on her decision, some strange sympathy 
causes me to wish you success. My own man told me that 
you have met before, and with her father s knowledge, and 
l his is all I ask, for my kinsman is discreet. He probably 
knows you, though I do not.&quot; 

The face of Paul glowed like fire, and he almost gasped 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 127 

fur breath. Pitying his distress, Effingham smiled kindly, 
and was about to quit him, when he felt his hand convul 
sively grasped by those of the young man. 

&quot; Do not quit me, Mr. Effingham, I entreat you,&quot; he said 
rapidly ; &quot; it is so unusual for me to hear words of confi 
dence, or even of kindness, that they are most precious to 
me ! I have permitted myself to be disturbed by the ran 
dom remarks of that well-meaning, but unreflecting man; 
but in a moment I shall be more composed more manly 
less unworthy of your attention and pity.&quot; 

&quot; Pity is a word I should never have thought of applying 
to the person, character, attainments, or, as I hoped, for 
tunes of Mr. Blunt ; and I sincerely trust that you will ac 
quit me of impertinence. I have felt an interest in you, 
young man, that I have long ceased to feel in most of my 
species, and I trust this will be some apology for the liberty 
I have taken. Perhaps the suspicion that you were anxious 
to stand well in the good opinion of my little cousin was at 
the bottom of it all.&quot; 

&quot; Indeed you have not misconceived my anxiety, sir ; for 
who is there that could be indifferent to the good opinion of 
one so simple and yet so cultivated ; with a mind in which 
nature and knowledge seem to struggle for the possession. 
One, Mr. Effingham, so little like the cold sophistication 
and heartlessness of Europe on the one hand, and the un 
formed girlishness of America, on the other ; one, in short, 
so every way what the fondest father or the most* sensitive 
brother could wish.&quot; 

John Effingham smiled, for to smile at any weakness was 
with him a habit ; but his eye glistened. After a moment 
of doubt, he turned to his young companion, and with a 
delicacy of expression and a dignity of manner that none 
could excel him in, when he chose, he put a question that 
for several days had been uppermost in his thoughts, though 
no fitting occasion had ever before offered, on which he 
thought he might venture. 

&quot; This frank confidence emboldens me one who ought 
to be ashamed to boast of his greater experience, when 
every day shows him to how little profit it has been turned, 
to presume to render our acquaintance less foima.l, by allu 
ding to interests more personal than strangers have a right 


128 HOMEWARD BOUffD. 

to touch on. You speak of the two parts of the world just 
mentioned, in a way to show me you are equally acquainted 
with both.&quot; 

&quot; I have often crossed the ocean, and, for so youn^ a 
man, have seen a full share of their societies. Perhaps it 
increases my interest in your lovely kinswoman, that, like 
myself, she properly belongs to neither.&quot; 

&quot; Be cautious how you whisper that in her ear, my youth 
ful friend ; for Eve Effingham fancies herself as * much 
American in character as in birth. Single-minded and 
totally without management, devoted to her duties, re 
ligious without cant, a warm friend of liberal institutions, 
without the slightest approach to the impracticable, in heart 
and soul a woman, you will find it hard to persuade her, 
that with all her practice in the world, and all her exten 
sive attainments, she is more than a humble copy of her 
own great beau ideal&quot; 

Paul smiled, and his eyes met those of John Effingham 
the expression of both satisfied the parties that they 
thought alike in more things than in their common admi- 
ration of the subject of their discourse. 

&quot; I feel I have not been as explicit as I ought to be with 
you, Mr. Effingham,&quot; the young man resumed, after a 
pause ; &quot; but on a more fitting occasion, I shall presume on 
your kindness to be less reserved. My lot has thrown me 
on the world, almost without friends, quite without relatives, 
so far as intercourse with them is concerned ; and I have 
known littte of the language or the acts of the affections.&quot; 

John Effingham pressed his hand, and from that time he 
cautiously abstained from any allusion to his personal con 
cerns; for a suspicion crossed his mind that the subject was 
painful to the young man. He knew that thousands of 
well-educated and frequently of affluent people, of both 
sexes, were to be found in Europe, to whom, from the cir 
cumstance of having been bora out of wedlock, through 
divorces, or other family misfortunes, their private histories 
were painful, and he at once inferred that some such event 
quite probably the first, lay at the bottom of Paul Blunt s 
peculiar situation. Notwithstanding his warm attachment 
to Eve, he had too much confidence in her own as well as 
in her father s judgment, to suppose an acquaintance of any 


HOMEWARD BOUND* 129 

intimacy would be lightly permitted ; and as to the mere 
prejudices connected with such subjects, he was quite free 
from them. Perhaps his masculine independence of cha 
racter caused him, on all such points, to lean to the side of 
the ultra in liberality. 

In this short dialogue, with the exception of the slight 
though unequivocal allusion of John Effingham, both had 
avoided any farther allusions to Mr. Sharp, or to his sup 
posed attachment to Eve. Both were confident of its exist 
ence, and this perhaps was one reason why neither felt any 
necessity to advert to it : for it was a delicate subject, and 
one, under the circumstances, that they would mutually 
wish to forget in their cooler moments. The conversation 
then took a more general character, and for several hours 
that day, while the rest of the passengers were kept below 
by the state of the weather, these two were together, lay 
ing, what perhaps it was now too late to term, the founda 
tion of a generous and sincere friendship. Hitherto Paul 
had regarded John Effingham with distrust and awe , but 
he found him a man so different from what report and his 
own fancy had pictured, that the reaction in his feelings 
served to heighten them, and to aid in increasing his respect. 
On the other hand, the young man exhibited so much 
modest good sense, a fund of information so much beyond 
his years, such integrity and justice of sentiment, that when 
they separated for the night, the old bachelor was full of 
regret that nature had not made him the parent of such a 
son. 

All this time the business of the ship had gone on. The 
wind increased steadily, until, as the sun went down, Captain 
Truck announced it, in the cabin, to be a &quot; regular-built 
gale of wind.&quot; Sail after sail had been reduced or furled 
until the Montauk was lying-to under her fore-sail, a close- 
reefed niam-top-sail, a fore-top-mast stay-sail, and a mizzen 
stay-sail. Doubts were even entertained whether the second 
of these sails would not have to be handed soon, and the 
fore-sail itself reefed. 

The ship s head was to the south-southwest, her drift 
considerable, and her way of course barely sufficient to 
cause her to feel her helm. The Foam had gained on her 
several miles during the time sail could be carried ; but she, 


130 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

also, had been obliged to heave-to, at the same increase of 
the sea and wind as tnat which had forced Mr. Truck to 
lash his wheel down. This state of things made a con 
siderable change in the relative positions of the two vessels 
again ; the next morning showing the sloop-of-vvar hull 
down, and well on the weather-beam of the packet. Her 
sharper mould and more weatherly qualities had done her 
this service, as became a ship intended for war and the chase. 

At all this, however, Captain Truck laughed. He could 
not be boarded in such weather, and it was matter of in 
difference where his pursuer might be, so long as he had 
time to escape, when the gale ceased. On the whole, ho 
was rather glad than otherwise of the present state of things, 
for it offered a chance to slip away to leeward as soon as 
the weather would permit, if, indeed, his tormentor did not 
altogether disappear in the northern board, or to windward. 

The hopes and fears of the worthy master, however, 
were poured principally into the ears of his two mates ; for 
few of the passengers were visible until the afternoon of the 
second day of the gale; then, indeed, a general relief to 
their physical suffering occurred, though it was accompanied 
by apprehensions that scarcely permitted the change to be 
enjoyed. About noon, on that day, the wind came with 
such power, and the seas poured down against the bows of 
the ship with a violence so tremendous, that it got to be 
questionable whether she could any longer remain with 
safety in her present condition. Several times in the course 
of the morning, the waves had forced her bows off, and 
before the ship could recover her position, the succeeding 
billow would break against her broadside, and throw a flood 
of water on her decks. This is a danger peculiar to lying- 
to in a gale ; for if the vessel get into the trough of the sea, 
and is met in that situation by a wave of unusual magnitude, 
she runs the double risk of being thrown on her beam-ends, 
and of having her decks cleared of everything, by the 
cataract of water that washes athwart them. Landsmen 
entertain little notion of the power of the waters, when 
driven before a tempest, and are often surprised, in reading 
of naval catastrophes, at the description of the injuries done. 
But experience shows that boats, hurricane-houses, guns, 
anchors of enormous weight, bulwarks and planks, are even 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 131 

swept off into the ocean, in this mariner, or are ripped up 
from their fastenings. 

The process of lying-to has a double advantage, so long 
as it can be maintained, since it offers the strongest portion 
of the vessel to the shock of the seas, and has the merit of 
keeping her as near as possible to the desired direction. 
But it is a middle course, being often adopted as an expe 
dient of safety when a ship cannot scud; and then, again, 
it is abandoned for scudding when the gale is so intense 
ly severe that it becomes in itself dangerous. In nothing 
are the high qualities of ships so thoroughly tried as in 
their manner of behaving, as it is termed, in these moments 
of difficulty ; nor is the seamanship of the accomplished 
officer so triumphantly established in any other part of his 
professional knowledge, as when he has had an opportunity 
of showing that he knows how to dispose of the vast weight 
his vessel is to carry, so as to enable her mould to exhibit 
its perfection, and on occasion to turn both to the best ac 
count. 

Nothing will seem easier to a landsman than for a vessel 
to run before the wind, let the force of the gale be what it 
may. But his ignorance overlooks most of the difficulties, 
nor shall we anticipate their dangers, but let them take their 
places in the regular thread of the narrative. 

Long before noon, or the hour mentioned, Captain Truck 
foresaw that, in consequence of the seas that were con 
stantly coming on board of her, he should be compelled tc 
put his ship before the wind. He delayed the manreuvre 
to the last moment, however, for what he deemed to be suf 
ficient reasons. The longer he kept the ship lying-to, the 
less he deviated from his proper course to New York, and 
the greater was the probability of his escaping, stealthily 
and without observation from the Foam, since the latter, by 
maintaining her position better, allowed the Montauk to 
drift gradually to leeward, and, of course, to a greater dis 
tance. 

But the crisis would no longer admit of delay. All hands 
were called ; the maintop-sail was hauled up, not without 
much difficulty, and then Captain Truck reluctantly gave 
the order to haul down the mizzen-staysail, to put the helm 
hard up, and to help the ship round with the yards. This 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 

is at all times a critical change, as has just been mentioned, 
tor the vessel is exposed to the ravages of any sea, larger 
than common, that may happen to strike her as she lies, 
nearly motionless, with her broadside exposed to its force. 
To accomplish it, therefore, Captain Truck went up a few 
ratlines in the fore-rigging, (he was too nice a calculator to 
offer even a surface as small as his own body to the wind, 
in the after shrouds,) whence he looked out to windward 
for a lull, and a moment when the ocean had fewer billows 
than common of the larger and more dangerous kind. At 
the desired instant he signed with his hand, and the wheel 
was shifted from hard-down to hard-up. 

This is always a breathless moment in a ship, for as none 
can foresee the result, it resembles the entrance of a hostile 
battery. A dozen .men may be swept away in an instant, 
or the ship herself hove over on her side. John Effingham 
and Paul, who of all the passengers were alone on deck, 
understood the hazards, and they watched the slightest 
change with the interest of men who had so much at stake. 
At first the movement of the ship was sluggish, and such 
as ill-suited the eagerness of the crew. Then her pitching 
ceased, and she settled into the enormous trough bodily, or 
the whole fabric sunk, as it were, never to rise again. So 
low did she fall, that the fore-sail gave a tremendous flap ; 
one that shook the hull and spars from stem to stern. As 
she rose on the next surge, happily its foaming crest slid 
beneath her, and the tall masts rolled heavily to windward. 
Recovering her equilibrium, the ship started through the 
brine, and as the succeeding roller came on, she was urg 
ing ahead fast. Still, the sea struck her abeam, forcing 
her bodily to leeward, and heaving the lower yard-arms 
into the ocean. Tons of water fell on her decks, with the 
dull sound of the clod on the coffin. At this grand moment, 
old Jack Truck, who was standing in the rigging, dripping 
with the spray, that had washed over him, with a naked 
head, and his grey hair glistening, shouted like a Stentor, 
&quot; Haul in your fore-braces, boys ! away with the yard, like 
a fiddlestick !&quot; Every nerve was strained ; the unwilling 
yards, pressed upon by an almost irresistible column of air, 
yielded slowly, and as the sail met the gale more perpen 
dicularly, or at right angles to its surface, it dragged the 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 133 

vast hull through the sea with a power equal to that of a 
steam-engine. Ere another sea could follow, the Montauk 
was glancing through the ocean at a furious rate, and 
though offering her quarter to the billows, their force was 
now so much diminished by her own velocity, as to deprive 
them of their principal danger. 

The motion of the ship immediately became easy, though 
her situation was still far from being without risk. No 
longer compelled to buffet the waves, but sliding along in 
their company, the motion ceased to disturb the systems 
of the passengers, and ten minutes had not elapsed before 
most of them were again on deck, seeking the relief of the 
open air. Among the others was Eve, leaning on the arm 
of her father. 

It was a terrific scene, though one might now contem 
plate it without personal inconvenience. The gentlemen 
gathered around the beautiful and appalled spectatress of 
this grand sight, anxious to know the effect it might pro 
duce on one of her delicate frame and habits. She ex 
pressed herself as awed, but not alarmed ; for the habits 
of dependence usually leave females less affected by fear, 
in such cases, than those who, by their sex, are supposed 
to be responsible. 

&quot; Mademoiselle Viefville has promised to follow me,&quot; she 
said, &quot; and as I have a national claim to be a sailor, you 
are not to expect hysterics or even ecstasies from me ; but 
reserve yourselves, gentlemen, for the Parisienne.&quot; 

The Parisienne, sure enough, soon came out of the hur 
ricane-house, with elevated hands, and eyes eloquent of 
admiration, wonder and fear. Her first exclamations were 
those of terror, and then turning a wistful look on Eve, she 
burst into tears. &quot; Ah, ceci est decisif /&quot; she exclaimed. 
&quot; When we part, we shall be separated for life.&quot; 

&quot; Then we will not part at all, my dear mademoiselle ; 
you have only to remain in America, to escape all future 
inconveniences of the ocean. But forget the danger, and 
admire the sublimity of this terrific panorama.&quot; 

Well might Eve thus term the scene. The hazards now 

to be avoided were those of the ship s broaching-to. and of 

being pooped. Nothing may seem easier, as has been 

said, than to &quot;sail before the wind,&quot; the words having 

12 


134 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

passed into a proverb ; but there are times when even a 
favouring gale becomes prolific of dangers, that we shall 
now briefly explain. 

The velocity of the water, urged as it is before a tem 
pest, is often as great as that of the ship, and at such mo 
ments the rudder is useless, its whole power being derived 
from its action as a moving body against the element in 
comparative repose. When ship and water move together, 
at an equal rate, in the same direction, of course this power 
of the helm is neutralized, and then the hull is driven much 
at the mercy of the winds and waves. Nor is this all ; the 
rapidity of the billows often exceeds that of a ship, and 
then the action of the rudder becomes momentarily reversed, 
producing an effect exactly opposite to that which is desired. 
It is true, this last difficulty is never of more than a few 
moments continuance, else indeed would the condition of 
the mariner be hopeless ; but it is of constant occurrence, 
and so irregular as to defy calculations and defeat caution. 
In the present instance, the Montauk would seem to fly 
through the water, so swift was her progress ; and then, as 
a furious surge overtook her in the chase, she settled heavily 
into the element, like a wounded animal, that, despairing 
of escape, sinks helplessly in the grass, resigned to fate. 
At such times the crests of the waves swept past her, like 
vapour in the atmosphere, and one unpractised would be 
apt to think the ship stationary, though in truth whirling 
along in company with a frightful momentum. 

It is scarcely necessary to say, that the process of scud 
ding requires the nicest attention to the helm, in order that 
the hull may be brought speedily back to the right direc 
tion, when thrown aside by the power of the billows ; for, 
besides losing her way in the caldron of water an immi 
nent danger of itself if left exposed to the attack of the 
succeeding wave, her decks, at least, would be swept, even 
should she escape a still more serious calamity. 

Pooping is a hazard of another nature, and is also pecu 
liar to the process of scudding. It merely means the ship s 
being overtaken by the waters while running from them, 
when the crest of a sea, broken by the resistance, is thrown 
inboard, over the taffrail or quarter. The term is derived 
from the name of that particular portion of the ship. In 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 135 

order to avoid this risk, sail is carried on the vessel as long 
as possible, it being deemed one of the greatest securities 
of scudding, to force the hull through the water at the 
greatest attainable rate. In consequence of these compli 
cated risks, ships that sail the fastest and steer the easiest, 
scud the best. There is, however, a species of velocity that 
becomes of itself a source of new danger ; thus, exceed- 
ingly sharp vessels have been known to force themselves 
so far into the watery mounds in their front, and to receive 
so much of the element on decks, as never to rise again. 
This is a fate to which those who attempt to sail the Ame 
rican clipper, without understanding its properties, are pecu 
liarly liable. On account of this risk, however, there was 
now no cause of apprehension, the full-bowed, kettle-bot 
tomed Montauk being exempt from the danger; though 
Captain Truck intimated his doubts whether the corvette 
would like to brave the course he had himself adopted. 

In this opinion, the fact would seem to sustain the master 
of the packet ; for when the night shut in, the spars of the 
Foam were faintly discernible, drawn like spiders webs on 
the bright streak of the evening sky. In a few more mi 
nutes, even this tracery, which resembled that of a magic- 
lantern, vanished from the eyes of those aloft ; for it had 
not been seen by any on deck for more than an hour. 

The magnificent horrors of the scene increased with the 
darkness. Eve and her companions stood supported by the 
hurricane-house, watching it for hours, the supernatural- 
looking light, emitted by the foaming sea, rendering the 
spectacle one of attractive terror. Even the consciousness 
of the hazards heightened the pleasure ; for there was a 
solemn and grand enjoyment mingled with it all, and the 
first watch had been set an hour, before the party had reso- 
lution enough to tear themselves from the sublime sight of 
a raging sea. 


136 HOMEWARD BOUJTD* 


CHAPTER XII. 


touch. Wast ever in court, shepherd ? 

Cor No, truly. 

Touch. Then thou art damn d. 

Cor Nay, I hope 

Town. Truly, thou art damn d, like an ill-roasted egg, al) on one side. 

As You LIKE IT. 

No one thought of seeking his berth when all the pas. 
eengers were below. Some conversed in broken, half in 
telligible dialogues, a few tried unavailingly to read, and 
more sat looking at each other in silent misgivings, as the 
gale howled through the cordage and spars, or among the 
angles and bulwarks of the ship. Eve was seated on a 
sofa in her own apartment, leaning on the breast of her 
father, gazing silently through the open doors into the for 
ward cabin ; for all idea of retiring within oneself, unless 
it might be to secret prayer, was banished from the mind. 
Even Mr. Dodge had forgotten the gnawings of envy, his 
philanthropical and exclusive democracy, and, what was 
perhaps more convincing still of his passing views of this 
sublunary world, his profound deference for rank, as be 
trayed in his strong desire to cultivate an intimacy with Sir 
George Templemore. As for the baronet himself, he sat 
by the cabin-table with his face buried in his hands, and 
once he had been heard to express a regret that he had 
ever embarked. 

Saunders broke the moody stillness of this characteristic 
party, with preparations for a supper. He took but one 
end of the table for his cloth, and a single cover showed 
that Captain Truck was about to dine, a thing he had not 
yet done that day. The attentive steward had an eye to 
his commander s tastes ; for it is not often one sees a better 
garnished board than was spread on this occasion, so far at 
least as quantity was concerned. Besides the usual solids 
of ham, corned-beef, and roasted shoat, there were carcasses 
of ducks, pickled oysters a delicacy almost peculiar to 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 137 

America and all the minor condiments of olives, anchovies, 
dates, figs, almonds, raisins, cold potatoes, and puddings, 
displayed in a single course, and arranged on the table 
solely with regard to the reach of Captain Truck s arm. 
Alihough Saunders was not quite without taste, he too well 
know the propensities of his superior to neglect any of these 
important essentials, and great care was had, in particular, 
so to dispose of everything as to render the whole so many 
radii diverging from a common centre, which centre was 
the stationary arm-chair that the master of the packet loved 
to fill in his hours of ease. 

&quot; You will make many voyages, Mr. Toast,&quot; the stew 
ard affectedly gave his subordinate, or as he was sometimes 
facetiously called, the steward s mate, reason to understand, 
when they had retired to the pantry to await the captain s 
appearance &quot; before you accumulate all the niceties of a 
gentleman s dinner. Every plat&quot; (Saunders had been in 
the Havre line, where he had caught a few words of this 
nature,) &quot; every plat should be within reach of the convive s 
arm, and particularly if it happen to be Captain Truck, who 
has a great awersion to delays at his diet. As for the 
entremets, they may be scattered miscellaneously with the 
salt and the mustard, so that they can come with facility in 
their proper places.&quot; 

&quot; I don t know what an entremet is,&quot; returned the subor 
dinate, &quot; and I exceedingly desire, sir, to receive my orders 
in such English as a gentleman can diwine.&quot; 

&quot; An entremet, Mr. Toast, is a mouthful thrown in pro 
miscuously between the reliefs of the solids. Now, sup 
pose a gentleman begins on pig ; when he has eaten enough 
of this, he likes a little brandy and water, or a glass of 
porter, before he cuts into the beef; and while I m mixing 
the first, or starting the cork, he refreshes himself with an 
entremet, such as a wing of a duck, or perhaps a plate of 
pickled oysters. You must know that there is great odds 
in passengers ; one set eating and jollifying, from the hour 
we sail till the hour we get in, while another takes the ocean 
as it might be sentimentally.&quot; 

&quot; Sentimentally, sir I s pose those be they as uses the 
basins uncommon ?&quot; 

&quot; That depends on the weather. I ve known a party 
12* 


138 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

not eat as much as would set one handsome table in a week, 
and then, when they conwalesced, it was intimidating how 
they dewoured. It makes a great difference, too, whether 
the passengers acquiesce well together or not, for agreeable 
feelings give a fine appetite. Lovers make cheap passen 
gers always.&quot; 

&quot; That is extr or nary, for I thought such as they was 
always hard to please, with every thing but one another.&quot; 

&quot;You never were more mistaken. I ve seen a lover 
who couldn t tell a sweet potato from an onion, or a canvas- 
back from an old wife. But of all mortals in the way of 
passengers, the bag-man or go-between is my greatest ani 
mosity. These fellows will sit up all night, if the captain 
consents, and lie abed next day, and do nothing but drink 
in their berths. Now, this time we have a compilable set, 
and on the whole, it is quite a condescension and pleasure 
to wait on them.&quot; 

&quot; Well, I think, Mr. Saunders, they isn t alike as much 
as they might be nother.&quot; 

&quot; Not more so than wenison and pig. Perfectly correct, 
sir ; for this cabin is a lobskous as regards deportment and 
character. I set all the Effinghams down as tip-tops, or, 
A No. 1, as Mr. Leach calls the ship ; and then Mr. Sharp 
and Mr. Blunt are quite the gentlemen. Nothing is easier, 
Mr. Toast, than to tell a gentleman ; and as you have set 
up a new profession, in which I hope, for the credit of the 
colour, you will be prosperous, it is well worth your while 
to know how this is done, especially as you need never 
expect much from a passenger, that is not a true gentleman, 
but trouble. There is Mr. John Effingham, in particular; 
his man says he never anticipates change, and if a coat 
confines his arm, he repudiates it on the spot.&quot; 

&quot; Well, it must be a satisfaction to serve such a compa 
nion. I think Mr. Dodge, sir, quite a feller.&quot; 

&quot; Your taste, Toast, is getting to be observable, and by 
cultivating it, you will soon be remarkable for a knowledge 
of mankind. Mr. Dodge, as you werry justly insinuate, is 
not werry refined, or particularly well suited to figure in 
genteel society.&quot; 

&quot; And yet he seems attached to it Mr. Saundeis, for he 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 139 

has purposed to establish five or six societies since we 
sailed.&quot; 

&quot; Werry true, sir; but then every society is not genteel. 
When we get back to New York, Toast, I must see and 
get you into a better set than the one you occupied when 
we sailed. You will not do yet for our circle, which is alto 
gether conclusive ; but you might be elevated. Mr. Dodge 
has been electioneering with me, to see if we cannot inwent 
a society among the steerage-passengers for the abstinence 
of liquors, and another for the perpetration of the morals 
and religious principles of our forefathers. As for the first, 
Toast, I told him it was sufficiently indurable to be confined 
in a hole like the steerage, without being percluded from the 
consolation of a little drink ; and as for the last, it appeared 
to me that such a preposition inwolwed an attack on liberty 
of conscience.&quot; 

&quot; There you give d him, sir, quite as good as he sent,&quot; 
returned the steward s mate, chuckling, or perhaps snig 
gering would be a word better suited to his habits of cachin- 
nation, &quot; and I should have been glad to witness his con 
fusion. It seems to me, Mr. Saunders, that Mr. Dodge 
loves to get up his societies in support of liberty and reli 
gion, that he may predominate over both by his own 
inwentions.&quot; 

Saunders laid his long yellow finger on the broad flat 
nose of his mate, with an air of approbation, as he replied, 

&quot; Toast, you have hit his character as pat as I touch 
your Roman. He is a man fit to make proselytes among 
the wulgar and Irish,&quot; the Hibernian peasant and the 
American negro are sworn enemies &quot; but quite unfit for 
anything respectable or decent. Were it not for Sir George, 
I would scarcely descend to clean his state-room.&quot; 

&quot; What is your sentiments, Mr. Saunders, respecting Sir 
George ?&quot; 

&quot; Why, Sir George is a titled gentleman, and of course 
is not to be strictured too freely. He has complimented me 
already with a sovereign, and apprised me of his intention 
to be more particular when we get in.&quot; 

&quot; I feel astonished such a gentleman should neglect to 
insure a state-room to his own convenience.&quot; 


140 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; Sir George has elucidated all that in a conversation we 
had in his room, soon after our acquaintance commenced. 
He is going to Canada on public business, and sailed at an 
hour s interval. He was too late for a single room, and his 
own man is to follow with most of his effects by the next 
ship. Oh ! Sir George may be safely put down as respect 
able and liberalized, though thrown into disparagement per 
haps by forty circumstances.&quot; 

Mr. Saunders, who had run his vocabulary hard in this 
conversation, meant to say &quot; fortuitous;&quot; and Toast thought 
that so many circumstances might well reduce a better man 
to a dilemma. After a moment of thought, or what in his 
orbicular shining features he fancied passed for thought, he 
said, 

&quot; I seem to diwine, Mr. Saunders, that the Effinghams 
do not much intimate Sir George.&quot; 

Saunders looked out of the pantry-door to reconnoitre, 
and finding the sober quiet already described reigning, he 
opened a drawer, and drew forth a London newspaper. 

&quot; To treat you with the confidence of a gentleman in a 
situation as respectable and responsible as the one you oc 
cupy, Mr. Toast,&quot; he said, &quot;a little ewent has transpired in 
my presence yesterday, that I thought sufficiently particular 
to be designated by retaining this paper. Mr. Sharp and 
Sir George happened to be in the cabin together, alone, and 
the last, as it suggested to me, Toast, was desirous of re 
moving some of the haughter of the first, for you may have 
observed that there has been no conversation between any 
of the Effinghams, or Mr. Blunt, or Mr. Sharp, and the 
baronet ; and so to break the ice of his haughter, as it might 
be, Sir George says, Really, Mr. Sharp, the papers have 
got to be so personally particular, that one cannot run into 
the country for a mouthful of fresh air that they don t 
record it. Now, I thought not a soul knew of my departure 
for America, and yet here you see they have mentioned it, 
with more particulars than are agreeable. On concluding, 
Sir George gave Mr. Sharp this paper, and indicated this here 
paragraph. Mr. Sharp perused it, laid down the paper, and 
retorted coldly, It is indeed quite surprising, sir ; but im 
pudence is a general fault of the age. And then he left 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 141 

the cabin solus. Sir George was so wexed, he went into 
his state-room and forgot the paper, which fell to the 
steward, you know, on a principle laid down in Wattel, 
Toast&quot; 

Here the two worthies indulged in a smothered merri 
ment of their own at the expense of their commander ; for 
though a dignified man in general, Mr. Saunders could 
laugh on occasion, and according to his own opinion of 
himself he danced particularly well. 

&quot; Would you like to read the paragraph, Mr. Toast ?&quot; 

&quot; Quite unnecessary, sir ; your account will be perfectly 
legible and satisfactory.&quot; 

By this touch of politeness, Mr. Toast, who knew as 
much of the art of reading as a monkey commonly knows 
of mathematics, got rid of the awkwardness of acknowl 
edging the careless manner in which he had trifled with his 
early opportunities. Luckily, Mr. Saunders, who had been 
educated as a servant in a gentleman s family, was better 
off, and as he was vain of all his advantages, he was par 
ticularly pleased to have an opportunity of exhibiting them. 
Turning to the paragraph he read the following lines, m 
that sort of didactic tone and elaborate style with which 
gentlemen who commence the graces after thirty are a lit 
tle apt to make bows : 

&quot;We understand Sir George Templemore, Bart., the 
member for Boodleigh, is about to visit our American colo 
nies, with a view to make himself intimately acquainted 
with the merits of the unpleasant questions by which they 
are just now agitated, and with the intention of entering 
into the debates in the house on that interesting subject on 
his return. We believe that Sir George will sail in the 
packet of the first from Liverpool, and will return in time 
to be in his seat after the Easter holidays. His people and 
effects left town yesterday by the Liverpool coach. During 
the baronet s absence, his country will be hunted by Sir 
Gervaise de Brush, though the establishment at Tempie- 
more Hall will be kept up.&quot; 

&quot; How came Sir George here, then ?&quot; Mr. Toast very 
naturally inquired. 

&quot; Having been kept too late in London, he was obliged 


142 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

to come this way or to be left. It is sometimes as close 
work to get the passengers on board, Mr. Toast, as to get 
the people. I have often admired how gentlemen and ladies 
love procrastinating, when dishes that ought to be taken 
hot, are getting to be quite insipid and uneatable.&quot; 

&quot; Saunders !&quot; cried the hearty voice of Captain Truck, 
who had taken possession of what he called his throne in 
the cabin. All the steward s elegant diction and finish of 
demeanour vanished at the well-known sound, and thrust 
ing his head out of the pantry-door, he gave the prompt 
ship-answer to a call, . 

&quot; Ay, ay, sir !&quot; 

&quot; Come, none of your dictionary in the pantry there, but 
show your physiognomy in my presence. What the devil 
do you think Vattel would say to such a supper as this?&quot; 

&quot; I think, sir, he would call it a werry good supper, for 
a ship in a hard gale of wind. That s my honest opinion, 
Captain Truck, and I never deceive any gentleman in a 
matter of food. I think, Mr. Wattel would approve of that 
there supper, sir.&quot; 

&quot; Perhaps he might, for he has made blunders as well as 
another man. Go, mix me a glass of just what I love, 
when I ve not had a drop all day. Gentlemen, will any of 
you honour me, by sharing in a cut? This beef is not in 
digestible, and here is a real Marylander, in the way of a 
ham. No want of oakum to fill up the chinks with, either.&quot; 

Most of the gentlemen were too full of the gale to wish 
o eat ; besides they had not fasted like Captain Truck 
since morning. But Mr. Monday, the bagman, as John 
Effingham had termed him, and who had been often enough 
at sea to know something of its varieties, consented to take 
a glass of brandy and water, as a corrective of the Madei 
ra he had been swallowing. The appetite of Captain Truck 
was little affected by the state of the weather, however ; for 
though too attentive to his duties to quit the deck until he 
had ascertained how matters were going on, now that he 
had fairly made up his mind to eat, he set about it with a 
heartiness and simplicity that proved his total disregard of 
appearances when his hunger was sharp. For some time 
be was too much occupied to talk, making regular attacks 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 143 

upon the different plats, as Mr. Saunders called them, 
without much regard to the cookery or the material. The 
only pauses were to drink, and this was always done with 
a steadiness that never left a drop in the glass. Still Mr. 
Truck was a temperate man ; for he never consumed more 
than his physical wants appeared to require, or his physi 
cal energies knew how to dispose of. At length, however, 
he came to the steward s entremets, or he began to stuff 
what he, himself, had called &quot; oakum,&quot; into the chinks of 
his dinner. 

Mr. Sharp had watched the whole process from the ladies 
cabin, as indeed had Eve, and thinking this a favourable 
occasion to ascertain the state of things on deck, the former 
came into the main-cabin, commissioned by the latter, to 
make the inquiry. 

&quot; The ladies are desirous of knowing where we are, and 
what is the state of the gale, Captain Truck,&quot; said the gen 
tleman, when he had seated himself near the throne. 

&quot; My dear young lady,&quot; called out the captain, by way 
of cutting short the diplomacy of employing ambassadors 
between them, &quot; I wish in my heart I could persuade you 
and Mademoiselle V. A. V., (for so he called the governess, 
in imitation of Eve s pronunciation of her name,) to try a 
few of these pickled oysters; they are as delicate as your 
selves, and worthy to be set before a mermaid, if there 
were any such thing.&quot; 

&quot; I thank you for the compliment, Captain Truck, and 
while I ask leave to decline it, I beg leave to refer you to 
the plenipotentiary Mademoiselle Viefville&quot; (Eve would not 
say herself) &quot; has intrusted with her wishes.&quot; 

&quot; Thus you perceive, sir,&quot; interposed Mr. Sharp again, 
&quot; you will have to treat with me, by all the principles laid 
down by Vattel.&quot; 

&quot; And treat you, too, my good sir. Let me persuade 
you to try a slice of this anti-abolitionist,&quot; laying his knife 
on the ham, which he still continued to regard himself with 
a sort of melancholy interest. &quot; No ? well, I hold over- 
persuasion as the next thing to neglect. I am satisfied, sir, 
after all, as Saunders says, that Vattel himself, unless more 
unreasonable at his grub than in matters of state, would be 


144 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

a happier man after he had been at his table twenty minutes, 
than before he sat down.&quot; 

Mr. Sharp perceiving that it was idle to pursue his in 
quiry while the other was in one of his discursive humours, 
determined to let things take their course, and fell into the 
captain s own vein. 

&quot; If Vattel would approve of the repast, few men ought 
to repine at their fortune in being so well provided.&quot; 

&quot; I flatter myself, sir, that I understand a supper, espe- 
pecially in a gale of wind, as well as Mr. Vattel, or any 
other man could do.&quot; 

&quot; And yet Vattel was one of the most celebrated cooks 
of his day.&quot; 

Captain Truck stared, looked his grave companion 
steadily in the eye, for he was too much addicted to mys 
tifying, not to distrust others, and picked his teeth with 
redoubled vigilance. 

11 Vattel a cook ! This is the first I ever heard of it.&quot; 

&quot; There was a Vattel, in a former age, who stood at the 
head of his art as a cook ; this I can assure you, on my 
honour : he may not have been your Vattel, however.&quot; 

&quot; Sir, there never were two Vattels. This is extraordi 
nary news to me, and I scarcely know how to receive it.&quot; 

&quot; If you doubt my information, you may ask any of the 
other passengers. Either of the Mr. Effinghams, or Mr. 
Blunt, or Miss Effingham, or Mademoiselle Viefville will 
confirm what I tell you, I think ; especially the latter, for 
he was her countryman.&quot; 

Hereupon Captain Truck began to stuff in the oakum 
again, for the calm countenance of Mr. Sharp produced an 
effect ; and as he was pondering on the consequences of his 
oracle s turning out to be a cook, he thought it not amiss to 
be eating, as it were, incidentally. After swallowing a 
dozen olives, six or eight anchovies, as many pickled oys 
ters, and raisins and almonds, as the advertisements say a 
volonte, he suddenly struck his fist on the table, and an 
nounced his intention of putting the question to both the 
ladies. 

&quot; My dear young lady,&quot; he called out, &quot; will you do me 
the honour to say whether you ever heard of a cook of the 
name of Vattel ?&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 145 

Eve laughed, and her sweet tones were infectious amid 
the dull howling of the gale, which was constantly heard in 
the cabins, like a bass accompaniment, or the distant roar 
of a cataract among the singing of birds. 

&quot; Certainly, captain,&quot; she answered ; &quot; Mr. Vattel was 
not only a cook, but perhaps the most celebrated on record, 
for sentiment at lea.;t, if not for skill.&quot; 

&quot; I make no doubt the man did his work well, let him be 
set about what he might ; and, mademoiselle, he was a 
countryman of yours, they tell me ?&quot; 

&quot; Assurement, Monsieur Vattel has left more distinguished 
souvenirs than any other cook in France.&quot; 

Captain Truck turned quickly to the elated and admiring 
Saunders, who felt his own glory enhanced by this impor 
tant discovery, and said in that short-hand way he had of 
expressing himself to the chief of the pantry, 

&quot; Do you hear that, sir ; see and find out what they are, 
and dress me a dish of those souvenirs as soon as we get 
in. I dare say they are to be had at the Fulton market, 
and mind while there to look out for some tongues and 
sounds. I ve not made half a supper to-night, for the want 
of them. I dare say these souvenirs are capital eating, if 
Monsieur Vattel thought so highly of them. Pray, ma 
demoiselle, is the gentleman dead ?&quot; 

&quot; Helas, oui ! How could he live with a sword run through 
his body ?&quot; 

&quot; Ha ! killed in a duel, I declare ; died fighting for his 
principles, if the truth were known ! I shall have a double 
respect for his opinion, for this is the touchstone of a man s 
honesty. Mr. Sharp, let us take a glass of Geissenheimer 
to his memory ; we might honour a less worthy man.&quot; 

As the captain poured out the liquor, a fall of several 
tons of water on the deck shook the entire ship, and one of 
the passengers in the hurricane-house, opening a door to 
ascertain the cause, the sound of the hissing waters and of 
the roaring winds came fresher and more distinct into the 
cabin. Mr. Truck cast an eye at the tell-tale over his head 
to ascertain the course of the ship, and paused just an in 
stant, and then tossed off his wine. 

&quot; This hint reminds me of my mission,&quot; Mr. Sharp re- 
13 


146 HOMEWARD BOl/ffI), 

joined. &quot; The ladies desire to know your opinion of the 
state of the weather ?&quot; 

&quot; I owe them an answer, if it were only in gratitude foi 
the hint about Vattel. Who the devil would have supposed 
the man ever was a cook ! But these Frenchmen are not 
like the rest of mankind, and half the nation are cooks, or 
live by food, in some way or other.&quot; 

* And very good cooks, too, Monsieur le Capitaine,&quot; said 
Mademoiselle Viefville. &quot; Monsieur Vattel did die for the 
honour of his art. He fell on his own sword, because the 
fish did not arrive in season for the dinner of the king.&quot; 

Captain Truck looked more astonished than ever. Then 
turning short round to the steward, he shook his head and 
exclaimed, 

&quot; Do you hear that, sir ? How often would you have 
died, if a sword had been run through you every time the 
fish was forgotten, or was too late? Once, to a dead cer 
tainty, about these very tongues and sounds.&quot; 

&quot; But the weather ?&quot; interrupted Mr. Sharp. 

&quot; The weather, my dear sir ; the weather, my dear la 
dies, is very good weather, with the exception of winds and 
waves, of which unfortunately there are, just now, more of 
both than we want. The ship must scud, and as we go 
like a race-horse, without stopping to take breath, we may 
see the Canary Islands before the voyage is over. Of dan 
ger there is none in this ship, as long as we can keep clear 
of the land, and in order that this may be done, I will just 
step into my state-room, and find out exactly where we are.&quot; 

On receiving this information, the passengers retired for 
the night, Captain Truck setting about his task in good ear 
nest. The result of his calculations showed that they would 
run westward of Madeira, which was all he cared about 
immediately, intending always to haul up to his course on 
the first good occasion. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 147 


CHAPTER XIII. 


There are yet two things in my destiny 
A world to roam o er, and a home with thee. 

BYRON. 

EVE EFFINGHAM slept little : although the motion of the 
ship had been much more severe and uncomfortable while 
contending with head-winds, on no other occasion were 
there so many signs of a fierce contention of the elements 
as in this gale. As she lay in her berth, her ear was with 
in a foot of the roaring waters without, and her frame 
trembled as she heard them gurgling so distinctly, that it 
seemed as if they had already forced their way through the 
seams of the planks, and were filling the ship. Sleep she 
could not, for a long time, therefore, and during two hours 
she remained with closed eyes an entranced and yet star 
tled listener of the fearful strife that was raging over the 
ocean. Night had no stillness, for the roar of the winds 
and waters was incessant, though deadened by the inter 
vening decks and sides ; but now and then an open door 
admitted, as it might be, the whole scene into the cabins. 
At such moments every sound was fresh, and frightfully 
grand, even the shout of the officer coming to the ear like 
a warning cry from the deep. 

At length Eve, wearied by her apprehensions even, fell 
into a troubled sleep, in which her frightened faculties, how 
ever, kept so much on the alert, that at no time was the 
roar of the tempest entirely lost to her sense of hearing. 
About midnight the glare of a candle crossed her eyes, and 
she was broad awake in an instant. On rising in her berth 
she found Nanny Sidley, who had so often and so long 
watched over her infant and childish slumbers, standing at 
her side, and gazing wistfully in her face. 

&quot; Tis a dread night, Miss Eve,&quot; half whispered the 
appalled domestic. &quot;I have not been able to sleep fop 


148 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

thinking of you, and of what might happen on these wide 
waters !&quot; 

&quot;And why of me particularly, my good Nanny?&quot; re 
turned Eve, smiling in the face of her old nurse as sweetly 
as the infant smiles in its moments of tenderness and recol 
lection. &quot; Why so much of me, my excellent Ann? are 
there not others too, worthy of your care? my beloved 
father your own good self Mademoiselle Viefville 
cousin Jack and &quot; the warm colour deepened on the 
cheek of the beautiful girl, she scarcely knew why herself 
u and many others in the vessel, that one, kind as you, 
might think of, I should hope, when your thoughts become 
apprehensions, and your wishes prayers.&quot; 

&quot; There are many precious souls in the ship, ma am, out 
of all question ; and I m sure no one wishes them all safe 
on land again more than myself; but it seems to me, no one 
among them all is so much loved as you.&quot; 

Eve leaned forward playfully, and drawing her old nurse 
towards her, kissed her cheek, while her own eyes glistened, 
and then she laid her flushed cheek on that bosom which 
had so frequently been its pillow before. After remaining 
a minute in this affectionate attitude, she rose and inquired 
if her nurse had been on deck. 

&quot; I go every half-hour, Miss Eve ; for I feel it as much 
my duty to watch over you here, as when I had you all to 
myself in the cradle. I do not think your father sleeps a 
great deal to-night, and several of the gentlemen in the 
other cabins remain dressed ; they ask me how you spend 
the time in this tempest, whenever I pass their state-room 
doors.&quot; 

Eve s colour deepened, and Ann Sidley thought she had 
never seen her child more beautiful, as the bright luxuriant 
golden hair, which had strayed from the confinement of the 
cap, fell on the warm cheek, and rendered eyes that were 
always full of feeling, softer and more brilliant even than 
common. 

&quot; They conceal their uneasiness for themselves under an 
affected concern for me, my good Nanny,&quot; she said hur 
riedly ; &quot; and your own affection makes you an easy dupe 
to the artifice.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 149 

&quot; It may be so, ma am, for I know but littie of the ways 
of the world. It is fearful, is it not, Miss Eve, to think 
that we are in a ship, so far from any land, whirling along 
over the bottom as fast as a horse could plunge ?&quot; 

&quot; The danger is not exactly of that nature, perhaps, 
Nanny.&quot; 

&quot; There is a bottom to the ocean, is there not ? I have 
heard some maintain there is no bottom to the sea and 
that would make the danger so much greater. I think, if 
I felt certain that the bottom was not very deep, and there 
was only a rock to be seen now and then, I should not find 
it so very dreadful.&quot; 

Eve laughed like a child, and the contrast between the 
sweet simplicity of her looks, her manners, and her more 
cultivated intellect, and the matronly appearance of the less 
instructed Ann, made one of those pictures in which the 
superiority of mind over all other things becomes most ap 
parent. 

&quot; Your notions of safety, my dear Nanny,&quot; she said, 
&quot; are not precisely those of a seaman ; for I believe there 
is nothing of which they stand more in dread than of rocks 
and the bottom.&quot; 

&quot; I fear I m but a poor sailor, ma am, for in my judgment 
we could have no greater consolation in such a tempest than 
to see them all around us. Do you think, Miss Eve, that 
the bottom of the ocean, if there is truly a bottom, is 
whitened with the bones of ship-wrecked mariners, as peo 
ple say?&quot; 

&quot; I doubt not, my excellent Nanny, that the great deep 
might give up many awful secrets ; but you ought to think 
less of these things, and more of that merciful Providence 
which has protected us through so many dangers since we 
have been wanderers. You are in much less danger now 
than I have known you to be, and escape unharmed.&quot; 

&quot; I : Miss Eve ! Do you suppose that I fear for myself? 
What matters it if a poor old woman like me die a few 
years sooner or later or where her frail old body is laid ? 
I have never been of so mu&quot;.h account when living as to 
make it of consequence where the little which will remain 
to decay when dead moulders into dust. Do not. I implore 
13* 


150 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

you, Miss Effingham, suppose me so selfish as to feel any 
uneasiness to-night on my own account.&quot; 

&quot; Is it then, as usual, all for me, my dear, my worthy old 
nurse, that you feel this anxiety ? Put your heart at ease, 
for they who know best betray no alarm ; and you may 
observe that the captain sleeps as tranquilly this night as 
on any other.&quot; 

&quot; But he is a rude man, and accustomed to danger. He 
has neither wife nor children, and I ll engage has never 
given a thought to the horrors of having a form precious as 
this floating in the caverns of the ocean, amidst ravenous 
fish and sea-monsters.&quot; 

Here her imagination overcame poor Nanny Sidley, and 
she folded her arms about the beautiful person of Eve, and 
sobbed violently. Her young mistress, accustomed to simi 
lar exhibitions of affection, soothed her with blandishments 
and assurances that soon restored her self-command, when 
the dialogue was resumed with a greater appearance of 
tranquillity on the part of the nurse. They conversed a 
few minutes on the subject of their reliance on God, Eve 
returning fourfold, or with the advantages of a cultivated 
intellect, many of those simple lessons of faith and humility 
that she had received from her companion when a child ; 
the latter listening, as she always did, to these exhortations, 
which sounded in her ears, like the echoes of all her own 
better thoughts, with a love and reverence no other could 
awaken. Eve passed her small white hand over the wrin 
kled cheek of Nanny in kind fondling, as it had been passed 
a thousand times when a child, an act she well knew her 
nurse delighted in, and continued, 

&quot; And now, my good old Nanny, you will set your .heart 
at ease, I know ; for though a little too apt to trouble your 
self about one who does not deserve half your care, you 
are much too sensible and too humble to feel distrust out of 
reason. We will talk of something else a few minutes, and 
then you will lie down and rest your weary body.&quot; 

&quot; Weary ! I should never feel weary in watching, when 
I thought there was a cause for it.&quot; 

Although Nanny made no allusion to herself, Eve under 
stood in whose behalf this watchfulness was meant. She 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 151 

drew the face of the old woman towards her, and left a kiss 
on each cheek ere she continued : 

&quot;These ships have other things to talk about, besides 
their dangers,&quot; she said. &quot; Do you not find it odd, at least, 
that a vessel of war should be sent to follow us about the 
ocean in this extraordinary way ?&quot; 

&quot; Quite so, ma am, and I did intend .to speak to you about 
it, some time when I saw you had nothing better to think 
of. At first I fancied, but I believe it was a silly thought, 
that some of the great English lords arid admirals that used 
to be so much about us at Paris, and Rome, and Vienna, 
had sent this ship to see you safe to America, Miss Eve ; 
for I never supposed they would make so much fuss con- 
ccrning a poor runaway couple, like these steerage-passen 
gers.&quot; 

Eve did not refrain from laughing again, at this conceit 
of Nanny s, for her temperament was gay as childhood, 
though well restrained by cultivation and manner, and 
once more she patted the cheek of her nurse kindly. 

&quot; Those great lords and admirals are not great enough 
for that, dear Nanny, even had they the inclination to do 
so silly a thing. But has no other reason suggested it 
self to you, among the many curious circumstances you 
may have had occasion to observe in the ship ?&quot; 

Nanny looked at Eve, and turned her eyes aside, glanced 
furtively at the young lady again, and at last felt compelled 
to answer. 

&quot; I endeavour, ma am, to think well of everybody, though 
strange thoughts will sometimes arise* without our wishing 
it. I suppose I know to what you allude ; but I don t feel 
quite certain it becomes me to speak.&quot; 

* With me at least, Nanny, you need have no reserves, 
and I confess a desire to learn if we have thought alike 
about some of our fellow-passengers. Speak freely, then ; 
for you can have no more apprehension in communicating 
all your thoughts to me, than in communicating them to 
your own child.&quot; 

&quot; Not as much, ma am, not half as much ; for you are 
both child and mistress to me, and I look quite as much to 
receiving advice as to giving it. It is odd, Miss Eve, that 


152 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

gentlemen should not pass under their proper names, and I 
have had unpleasant feelings about it, though I did not thin* 
it became me to be the first to speak, while your father was 
with you, and mamerzelle,&quot; for so Nanny always styled 
the governess, &quot;and Mr. John, all of whom love you al 
most as much as I do, and all of whom are so much better 
judges of what is right. But now you encourage me to 
speak my mind, Miss Eve, I will say I should like that no 
one came near you who does not carry his heart in his open 
hand, that the youngest child might know his character and 
understand his motives.&quot; 

Eve smiled as her nurse grew warm, but she blushed in 
spite of an effort to seem indifferent. 

&quot; This would be truly a vain wish, dear Nanny, in the 
mixed company of a ship,&quot; she said. &quot; It is too much to 
expect that strangers will throw aside all their reserves, on 
first finding themselves in close communion. The well- 
bred and prudent will only stand more on their guard un 
der such circumstances.&quot; 
&quot; Strangers, ma am !&quot; 

&quot; I perceive that you recollect the face of one of our ship 
mates. Why do you shake your head ?&quot; The tell-tale 
blood of Eve again mantled over her lovely countenance. 
I suppose I ought to have said two of our shipmates, 
though I had doubted whether you retained any recollection 
of one of them.&quot; 

&quot; No gentleman ever speaks to you twice, Miss Eve, 
that I do not rememter him.&quot; 

; Thank you, dearest Nanny, for this and a thousand 
other proofs of your never-ceasing interest in my welfare ; 
but I had not believed you so vigilant as to take heed of 
every face that happens to approach me.&quot; 

&quot; Ah, Miss Eve ! neither of these gentlemen would like 
to be mentioned by you in this careless manner, Fm sure. 
They both did a great deal more than happen to approach 
you ; for as to &quot; 

&quot; Hist ! dear Nanny ; we are in a crowded place, and 
you may be overheard. You will use no names, therefore, 
as I believe we understand each other without going into 
all these particulars. Now, my dear nurse, would I give 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 153 

something to know which of these young men has made 
the most favourable impression on your upright and con 
scientious mind?&quot; 

&quot; Nay, Miss Eve, what is my judgment in comparison 
with your own, and that of Mr. John Effingham, and &quot; 

&quot; My cousin Jack ! In the name of wonder, Nanny, 
what has he to do with the matter ?&quot; 

&quot; Nothing, ma am ; only I can see he has his favourites 
as well as another, and I ll venture to say Mr. Dodge is not 
the greatest he has in this ship.&quot; 

&quot; I think you might add Sir George Templemore, too,&quot; 
returned Eve, laughing. 

Ann Sidley looked hard at her young mistress, and 
smiled before she answered ; and then she continued the 
discourse naturally, as if there had been no interruption. 

&quot; Quite likely, ma am ; and Mr. Monday, and all the rest 
of that set. But you see how soon he discovers a real gen 
tleman ; for he is quite easy and friendly with Mr. Sharp 
and Mr. Blunt, particularly the last.&quot; 

Eve was silent, for she did not like the open introduction 
of these names, though she scarce knew why herself. 

&quot; My cousin is a man of the world,&quot; she resumed, on 
perceiving that Nanny watched her countenance with soli 
citude, as if fearful of having gone too far ; &quot; arid there is 
nothing surprising in his discovering men of his own class. 
We know both these persons to be not exactly what they 
seem, though I think we know no harm of either, unless it 
be the silly change of names. It would have been better 
had they come on board 1 , bearing their proper appellations; 
to us, at least, it would have been more respectful, though 
both affirm they were ignorant that my father had taken 
passage in the Montauk, a circumstance that may very 
well be true, as you know we got the cabin that was first 
engaged by another party.&quot; 

&quot; I should be sorry, ma am, if either failed in respect.&quot; 

&quot; It is not quite adulatory to make a young woman the 
involuntary keeper of the secrets of two unreflecting young 
men ; that is all, my good Nanny. We cannot well betray 
them, and we are consequently their confidants par force. 
The most amusing part of the thing is, that they are mas- 


164 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

ters of each other s secrets, in part at least, and feel a de* 
light fu( awkwardness in a hundred instances. For my 
own part I pity neither, but think each is fairly enough pun 
ished. They will he fortunate if their servants do not 
betray them before we reach New York.&quot; 

&quot; No fear of that, ma am, for they are discreet, cautious 
men, and if disposed to blab, Mr. Dodge has given both 
good opportunities already, as I believe he has put to them 
as many questions as there are speeches in the catechism.&quot; 

&quot; Mr. Dodge is a vulgar man.&quot; 

* So we all say, ma am, in the servants cabin, and every 
body is so set against him there, that there is little chance 
of his learning much. I hope, Miss Eve, mamerzelle does 
not distrust either of the gentlemen ?&quot; 

&quot; Surely you cannot suspect Mademoiselle Viefville of 
indiscretion, Nanny ; a better spirit, or a better tone than 
hers, does not exist.&quot; 

&quot; No, ma am, tis not that : but I should like to have one 
more secret with you, all to myself. I honour and respect 
mamerzelle, who has done a thousand times more for you 
than a poor ignorant woman like me could have done, with 
all my zeal ; but I do believe, Miss Eve, I love your shoe 
tie better than she loves your pure and beautiful spirit.&quot; 

&quot;Mademoiselle Viefville is an excellent woman, and I 
believe is sincerely attached to me.&quot; 

&quot; She would be a wretch else. I do not deny her attach 
ment, but I only say it is nothing, it ought to be nothing, it 
can be nothing, it shall be nothing, compared to that of the 
one who first held you in her arms, and who has always 
heid you in her heart. Mamerzelle can sleep such a night 
as this, which I m sure she could not do were she as much 
concerned for you as I am.&quot; 

Eve knew that jealousy of Mademoiselle Viefville was 
Nanny s greatest weakness, and drawing the old woman to 
her, she entwined her arms around her neck and complained 
of drowsiness. Accustomed to watching, and really unable 
to sleep, the nurse now passed a perfectly happy hour in 
holding her child, who literally dropped asleep on her 
bosom ; after which Nanny slid into the berth beneath, in 
her clothes, and finally lost the sense of her apprehensions 
in perturbed slumbers. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 155 

A cry on deck awoke all in the cabins early on the suc 
ceeding morning. It was scarcely light, but a common ex 
citement seized every passenger, and ten minutes had not 
elapsed when Eve and her governess appeared in the hur 
ricane-house, the last of those who came from below. Few 
questions had been asked, but all hurried on deck with their 
apprehensions awakened by the gale, increased to the sense 
of some positive and impending danger. 

Nothing, however, was immediately apparent to justify 
all this sudden clamour. The gale continued, if anything, 
with increased power ; the ocean was rolling over its cata 
racts of combing seas, with which the ship was still racing, 
driven under the strain of a reefed forecourse, the only 
canvas that was set. Even with this little sail the hull was 
glancing through the raging seas, or rather in their com 
pany, at a rate a little short of ten miles in the hour. 

Captain Truck was in the mizzen-rigging, bare-headed, 
every lock of hair he had blowing out like a pennant. Oc 
casionally he signed to the man at the wheel which way to 
put the helm ; for instead of sleeping, as many had sup 
posed, he had been conning the ship for hours in the same 
situation. As Eve appeared, he was directing the attention 
of several of the gentlemen to some object astern, but a 
very lew moments put all on deck in possession of the facts. 

About a cable s length, on one of the quarters of the 
Montauk, was a ship careering before the gale like them 
selves, though carrying more canvas, and consequently 
driving faster through the water. The sudden appearance 
of this vessel in the sombre light of the morning, when 
objects were seen distinctly but without the glare of day ; 
the dark hull, relieved by a single narrow line of white 
paint, dotted with ports; the glossy hammock-cloths, and 
all those other coverings of dark glistening canvas which 
give to a cruiser an air of finish and comfort, like that of a 
travelling carriage ; the symmetry of the spars, and the 
gracefulness of all the lines, whether of the hull or hamper, 
told all who knew anything of such subjects, that the 
stranger was a vessel of war. To this information Captain 
Truck added that it was their old pursuer the Foam. 

&quot; She is corvette-built,&quot; said the master of the Montauk, 


156 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; and is obliged to carry more canvas than we, in order to 
keep out of the way of the seas ; for, if one of these big 
fellows should overtake her, and throw its crest into her 
waist, she would become like a man who has taken too 
much Saturday-night, and with whom a second dose might 
settle the purser s books forever.&quot; 

Such in fact was the history of the sudden appearance 
of this ship. She had lain-to as long as possible, and on 
being driven to scud, carried a close-reefed maintop-sail, a 
show of canvas that urged her through the water about 
two knots to the hour faster than the rate of the packet. 
Necessarily following the same course, she overtook the 
latter just as the day began to dawn. The cry had arisen 
on her sudden discovery, and the moment had now arrived 
when she was about to come up, quite abreast of her late 
chase. The passage of the Foam, under such circum 
stances, was a grand but thrilling thing. Her captain, too, 
was seen in the mizzen-rigging of his ship, rocked by the 
gigantic billows over which the fabric was careering. He 
held a speaking-trumpet in his hand, as if still bent on his 
duty, in the midst of that awful warring of the elements. 
Captain Truck called for a trumpet in his turn, and fearful 
of consequences he waved it to the other to keep more 
aloof. The injunction was either misunderstood, the man- 
of-war s man was too much bent on his object, or the ocean 
was too uncontrollable for such a purpose, the corvette 
driving up on a sea quite abeam of the packet, and in fear 
ful proximity. The Englishman applied the trumpet, and 
words were heard amid the roaring of the winds. At that 
time the white field of old Albion, with the St. George s 
cross, rose over the bulwarks, and by the time it had 
reached the gaff-end, the bunting was whipping in ribbons. 

&quot; Show em the gridiron !&quot; growled Captain Truck 
through his trumpet, with its mouth turned in board. 

As everything was ready this order was instantly obeyed, 
and the stripes of America were soon seen fluttering nearly 
in separate pieces. The two ships now ran a short distance 
in parallel lines, rolling from each other so heavily that the 
bright copper of the corvette was seen nearly to her keel. 
The Englishman, who seemed a portion of his ship, again 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 157 

tried his trumpet; the detached words of &quot; lie-by,&quot; &quot;or 
ders,&quot; &quot; communicate,&quot; were caught by one or two, but 
the howling of the gale rendered all connexion in the mean- 
ing impossible. The Englishman ceased his efforts to make 
himself heard, for the two ships were now rollin^-to, and 
it appeared as if their spars would interlock. Ihere was 
an instant when Mr. Leach had his hand on the main-brace 
to let it go ; but the Foam started away on a sea, like a 
horse that feels the spur, and disobeying her helm, shot 
forward, as if about to cross the Montauk s forefoot. 

A breathless instant followed, for all on board the two 
ships thought they must now inevitably come foul of each 
other, and this the more so, because the Montauk took the 
impulse of the sea just as it was lost to the Foam, and 
seemed on the point of plunging directly into the stern of 
the latter. Even the seamen clenched the ropes around 
them convulsively, and the boldest held their breaths for a 

time. The &quot; p-o-r-t, hard a port, and be d d to you !&quot; 

of Captain Truck; and the &quot;S-t-a-r-b-o-a-r-d, starboard 
hard !&quot; of the Englishman, were both distinctly audible to 
all in the two ships ; for this was a moment in which sea 
men can speak louder than the tempest. The affrighted 
vessels seemed to recede together, and they shot asunder in 
diverging lines, the Foam leading. All further attempts at 
a communication were instantly useless ; the corvette being 
half a mile ahead in a quarter of an hour, rolling her yard- 
arms nearly to the water. 

Captain Truck said little to his passengers concerning 
this adventure ; but when he had lighted a cigar, and was 
discussing the matter with his chief-mate, he told the latter 
there was &quot;just one minute when he would not have giveu 
a ship s biscuit for both vessels, nor much more for their 
cargoes. A man must have a small regard for human 
souls, when he puts them, and their bodies too, in so much 
jeopardy for a little tobacco.&quot; 

Throughout the day it blew furiously, for the ship w&d 
running into the gale, a phenomenon that we shall explain, 
as most of our readers may not comprehend it. All gates 
of wind commence to leeward ; or, in other words, the wind 
is first felt at some particular point, and later, as we recede 
14 


158 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

from that point, proceeding in the direction from which the 
wind blows. It is always severest near the point where i* 
commences, appearing to diminish in violence as it recedes. 
This, therefore, is an additional motive for mariners to lie- 
to, instead of scudding, since the latter not only carries 
them far from their true course, but it carries them also 
nearer to the scene of the greatest fury of the elements. 


CHAPTER XIV. 


Good boatswain, have care. 

TEMPEST. 


AT sunset, the speck presented by the reefed top-sail of 
the corvette had sunk beneath the horizon, in the southern 
board, and that ship was seen no longer. Several islands 
had been passed, looking tranquil and smiling amid the fury 
of the tempest ; but it was impossible to haul up for any 
one among them. The most that could be done was to 
keep the ship dead before it, to prevent her broaching-to, 
and to have a care that she kept clear of those rocks and 
of that bottom, for which Nanny Sidley had so much pined. 

Familiarity with the scene began to lessen the apprehen 
sions of the passengers, and as scudding is an easy process 
for those who are liable to sea-sickness, ere another night 
shut in, the principal concern was connected with the course 
the ship was compelled to steer. The wind had so far 
hauled to the westward as to render it certain that the coast 
of Africa would lie in their way, if obliged to scud many 
hours longer; for Captain Truck s observations actually- 
placed him to the southward and eastward of the Canary 
Islands. This was a long distance out of his course, but 
the rate of sailing rendered the fact sufficiently clear. 

This, too, was the precise lime when the Montauk felt 
the weight of the tempest, or rather, when she experienced 


HOMEWARD feOUND. 159 

the heaviest portion of that which it was her fate to feel. 
Lucky was it for the good ship that she had not been in this 
latitude a few hours earlier, when it had blown something 
very like a hurricane. The responsibility and danger of 
his situation now began seriously to disturb Captain Truck, 
although he kept his apprehensions to himself, like a pru 
dent officer. All his calculations were gone over again 
with the utmost care, the rate of sailing was cautiously 
estimated, and the result showed, that ten or fifteen hours 
more would inevitably produce shipwreck of another sort, 
unless the wind moderated. 

Fortunately, the gale began to break about midnight. 
The wind still blew tremendously, but it was less steadily, 
and there were intervals of half-an-hour at a time when the 
ship might have carried much more canvas, even on a bow 
line : of course her speed abated in proportion, and, after 
the day had dawned, a long and anxious survey from aloft 
showed no land to the eastward. When perfectly assured 
of this important fact, Captain Truck rubbed his hands with 
delight, ordered a coal for his cigar, and began to abuse 
Saunders about the quality of the coffee during the blow. 

&quot;Let there be something. creditable, this morning, sir,&quot; 
added the captain, after a sharp rebuke ; &quot; and remember 
we are down here in the neighbourhood of the country of 
your forefathers, where a man ought, in reason, to be on 
his good behaviour. If I hear any more of your washy 
compounds, I ll put you ashore, and let you run naked a 
summer or two with the monkeys and ouran-outangs.&quot; 

&quot; I endeavour, on all proper occasions, to render myself 
agreeable to you, Captain Truck, and to all those with 
whom I have the happiness to sail,&quot; returned the steward ; 
&quot; but the coffee, sir, cannot be very good, sir, in such wea- 
ter, sir. I do diwine that the wind must blow away its fla 
vour, for I am ready to confess it has not been as odorous 
as it usually is, when I have had the honour to prepare it. 
As for Africa, sir, 1 flatter myself, Captain Truck, that you 
esteem me too highly to believe I am suited to consort or 
resort with the ill-formed and medicated men who inhabit 
that wild country. I misremember whether my ancestors 
came from this part of the world or not ; but if they did, 


160 HOMEWARD BOUftth 

sir, my habits and profession entirely unqualify me for their 
company, I hope. I know I am only a poor steward, sir, 
but you ll please to recollect that your great Mr. Vattel was 
nothing but a cook.&quot; 

&quot; D n the fellow, Leach ; I believe it is this conceit that 
has spoiled the coffee the last day or two ! Do you sup 
pose it can be true that a great writer like this man could 
really be no better than a cook, or was that Englishman 
roasting me, by way of showing how cooking is done 
ashore ? If it were not for the testimony of the ladies, I 
might believe it ; but they would not share in such an inde 
cent trick. What are you lying-by for, sir 1 go to your pan 
try, and remember that the gale is broken, and we shall all 
sit down to table this morning, as keen-set as a party of 
your brethren ashore here, who had a broiled baby for 
breakfast.&quot; 

Saunders, who ex-officio might be said to be trained in 
similar lectures, went pouting to his work, taking care to 
expend a proper part of his spleen on Mr. Toast, who, quite 
as a matter of course, suffered in proportion as his superior 
was made to feel, in his own person, the weight of Captain 
Truck s authority. It is perhaps fortunate that nature 
points out this easy and self-evident mode of relief, else 
would the rude habits of a ship sometimes render the rela 
tions between him who orders and him whose duty it is to 
obey, too nearly approaching to the intolerable. 

The captain s squalls, however, were of short duration, 
and on the present occasion he was soon in even a better 
humour than common, as every minute gave the cheering 
assurance, that the tempest was fast drawing to a close. 
He had finished his third cigar, and was actually issuing 
his orders to turn the reef out of the foresail, and to set the 
main -top-sail close-reefed, when most of the passengers ap 
peared on deck, for the first time that morning. 

&quot; Here we are, gentlemen !&quot; cried Captain Truck, in the 
way of salutation, &quot; nearer to Guinea than I could wish, 
with every prospect, now, of soon working our way across 
the Atlantic, and possibly of making a thirty or thirty-five 
days passage of it yet. We have this sea to quiet; and 
then I hope to show you what the Montauk has in her, be- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 161 

sides her passengers and cargo. I think we have now got 
rid of the Foam, as well as of the gale. I did believe, at 
one time, her people might be walking and wading on the 
coast of Cornwall ; but I now believe they are more likely 
to try the sands of the great Desert of Sahara.&quot; 

&quot; It is to be hoped they have escaped the latter calamity, 
as fortunately as they escaped the first!&quot; observed Mr. 
Effingham. 

&quot; It may be so ; but the wind has got round to nor -west, 
and has not been sighing these last twelve hours. Cape 
Blanco is not a hundred leagues from us, and, at the rate 
he was travelling, that gentleman with the speaking-trum 
pet may now be philosophizing over the fragments of his 
ship, unless he had the good sense to haul off more to the 
westward than he was steering when last seen. His ship 
should have been christened the * Scud, instead of the 
Foam. &quot; 

Every one expressed the hope that the ship, to which 
their own situation was fairly enough to be ascribed, might 
escape this calamity ; and all faces regained their cheer 
fulness as they saw the canvas fall, in sign that their own 
danger was past. So rapidly, indeed, did the gale now 
abate, that the topsails were hardly hoisted before the ordei 
was given to shake out another reef, and within an hour all 
the heavier canvas that was proper to carry before the 
wind was set, solely with a view to keep the ship steady. 
The sea was still fearful, and Captain Truck found himself 
obliged to keep off from his course, in order to avoid the 
danger of having his decks swept. 

The racing with the crest of the waves, however, was 
quite done, for the seas soon cease to comb and break, after 
the force of the wind is expended. 

At no time is the motion of the vessel more unpleasant, 
or, indeed, more dangerous, than in the interval that occurs 
between the ceasing of a violent gale, and the springing up 
of a new wind. The ship is unmanageable, and falling 
into the troughs of the sea, the waves break in upon her 
decks, olen doing serious injury, while the spars and rig 
ging are put to the severest trial by the sudden and violent 
surges which they have to withstand. Of all this Captain 


162 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

Truck was fully aware, and when he was summoned to 
breakfast he gave many cautions to Mr. Leach before 
quitting the deck. 

&quot; I do not like the new shrouds we got up in London,&quot; 
he said, &quot; for the rope has stretched in this gale in a way 
to throw too much strain on the old rigging ; so see all 
ready for taking a fresh drag on them, as soon as the people 
have breakfasted. Mind and keep her out of the trough, 
sir, and watch every roller that you find comes tumbling 
upon us,&quot; 

After repeating these injunctions in different ways, look 
ing to windward some time, and aloft five or six minutes, 
Captain Truck finally went below, to pass judgment on 
Mr. Saunders coffee. Once in his throne, at the head of 
the long table, the worthy master, after a proper attention 
to his passengers, set about the duty of restoration, as the 
steward affectedly called eating, with a zeal that never 
failed him on such occasions. He had just swallowed a 
cup of the coffee, about which he had lectured Saunders, 
when a heavy flap of the sails announced the sudden failure 
of the wind. 

&quot; That is bad news,&quot; said Captain Truck, listening to the 
fluttering blows of the canvas against the masts. &quot; I never 
like to hear a ship shaking its wings while there is a heavy 
sea on ; but this is better than the Desert of Sahara, and 
so, my dear young lady, let me recommend to you a cup 
of this coffee, which is flavoured this morning by a dread 
of ouran-outangs, as Mr. Saunders will have the honoui 
to inform you &quot; 

A jerk of the whole ship was followed by a report like 
that made by a musket. Captain Truck rose, and stood 
leaning on one hand in a bent attitude, expectation and 
distrust intensely portrayed in every feature. Another 
helpless roil of the ship succeeded, and three or four simi 
lar reports were immediately heard, as if large ropes had 
parted in quick succession. A rending of wood followed, 
and then came a chaotic crash, in which the impending 
heavens seemed to fall on the devoted ship. Most of the 
passengers shut their eyes, and when they were opened 
again, or a moment afterwards, Mr. Truck had vanished. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 163 

It is scarcely necessary to describe the confusion that 
followed. Eve was frightened, but she behaved well, though 
Mademoiselle Viefville trembled so much as to require the 
assistance of Mr. Effingham. 

&quot; We have lost our masts,&quot; John Effingham coolly re 
marked ; &quot; an accident that will not be likely to be very 
dangerous, though by prolonging the passage a month or 
two, it may have the merit of making this good company 
more intimately acquainted with each other, a pleasure for 
which we cannot express too much gratitude.&quot; 

Eve implored his forbearance by a glance, for she saw 
his eye was unconsciously directed towards Mr. Monday 
and Mr. Dodge, for both of whom she knew her kinsman 
entertained an incurable dislike. His words, however, ex 
plained the catastrophe, and most of the men hastened on 
deck to assure themselves of the fact. 

John Effingham was right. The new rigging which had 
stretched so much during the gale, had permitted too much 
of the strain, in the tremendous rolls of the ship, to fall 
upon the other ropes. The shroud most exposed had 
parted first ; three or four more followed in succession, and 
before there was time to secure anything, the remainder 
had gone together, and the mainmast had broken at a place 
where a defect was now seen in its heart. Falling over the 
side, the latter had brought down with it the mizzen-mast 
and all its hamper, and as much of the fore-mast as stood 
above the top. In short, of all the complicated tracery of 
ropes, the proud display of spars, and the broad folds of 
canvas that had so lately overshadowed the deck of the 
Montauk, the mutilated fore-mast, the fore-yard and sail, 
and the fallen head-gear alone remained. All the rest 
either cumbered the deck, or was beating against the side 
of the ship, in the water. 

The hard, red, weather-beaten face of Captain Truck 
was expressive of mortification and concern, for a single 
instant, when his eye glanced over the ruin we have just 
described. His mind then seemed made up to the calamity, 
and he ordered Toast to bring him a coal of fire, with 
which he quietly lighted a cigar. 

&quot; Here is a category, and be d d to it, Mr. Leach,&quot; he 


164 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

said, after taking a single whiff. &quot; You are doing quite 
right, sir ; cut away the wreck and force the ship free of it, 
or we shall have some of those sticks poking themselves 
through the planks. I always thought the chandler in 

London, into whose hands the agent has fallen, was a 

rogue, and now I know it well enough to swear to it. Cut 
away, carpenter, and get us rid of all this thumping as socn 
as possible. A very capital vessel, Mr. Monday, or she 
would have rolled the pumps out of her, and capsized the 
galley.&quot; 

No attempt being made to save anything, the wreck was 
floating astern in five minutes, and the ship was fortunately 
extricated from this new hazard. Mr. Truck, in spite of 
his acquired coolness, looked piteously at all that gallant 
hamper, in which he had so lately rejoiced, as yard-arm, 
cross-trees, tressel-trees, and tops rose on the summits of 
swells or settled in the troughs, like whales playing their 
gambols. But habit is a seaman s philosophy, and in no 
one feature is his character more respectable than in that 
manliness which disinclines him to mourn over a misfortune 
that is inevitable. 

The Montauk now resembled a tree stripped of its 
branches, or a courser crippled in his sinews ; her glory 
had, in a great degree, departed. The foremast alone 
remained, and of this even the head was gone, a circum 
stance of which Captain Truck complained more than of 
any other, as, to use his own expressions, &quot; it destroyed the 
symmetry of the spar, which had proved itself to be a good 
stick.&quot; What, however, was of more real importance, it 
rendered it difficult, if not impossible, to get up a spare top 
mast forward. As both the main and mizzen-mast had 
gone quite near the deck, this was almost the only tolerably 
easy expedient that remained ; and, within an hour of the 
accident, Mr. Truck announced his intentions to stand as 
far south as he could to strike the trades, and then to make 
a fair wind of it across the Atlantic, unless, indeed, he 
might be able to fetch into the Cape de Verde Islands, 
where it would be possible, perhaps, to get something like 
a nnw outfit. 

&quot; All I now ask, my dear young lady,&quot; he said to Eve, 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 165 

who ventured on deck to look at the desolation, as soon as 
the wreck was cut adrift, &quot; all I now ask, my dear young 
lady, is an end to westerly winds for two or three weeks, 
and I will promise to place you all in America yet, in time 
to eat your Christmas dinner. I do not think Sir George 
will shoot many white bears among the Rocky Mountains 
this year, but then there will be so many more left for ano 
ther season. The ship is in a category, and he will be an 
impudent scoundrel who denies it; but worse categories 
than this have been reasoned out of countenance. All head- 
sail is not a convenient show of cloth to claw off a lee- 
shore with ; but I still hope to escape the misfortune of lay 
ing eyes on the coast of Africa.&quot; 

&quot; Are we far from it ?&quot; asked Eve, who sufficiently un 
derstood the danger of being on an uninhabitable shore ir 
their present situation ; one in which it was vain to seek foi 
a port. &quot; I would rather be in the neighbourhood of any 
other land, I think, than that of Africa.&quot; 

&quot; Especially Africa between the Canaries and Cape 
Blanco,&quot; returned Captain Truck, with an expressive 
shrug. &quot; More hospitable regions exist, certainly ; for, if 
accounts are to be credited, the honest people along-shore 
never get a Christian that they do not mount him on a 
camel, and trot him through the sands a thousand miles or 
so, under a hot sun, with a sort of haggis for food, that 
would go nigh to take away even a Scotchman s appetite.&quot; 

&quot; And you do not tell us how far we are from this fright 
ful land, Mons. le Capitaine ?&quot; inquired Mademoiselle Vief- 
ville. 

&quot; In ten minutes you shall know, ladies, for I am about 
to observe for the longitude. It is a little late, but it may 
yet be done.&quot; 

&quot; And we may rely on the fidelity of your information ?&quot; 

&quot; On the honour of a sailor and a man.&quot; 

The ladies were silent, while Mr. Truck proceeded to get 
the sun and the time. As soon as he had run through his 
calculations, he came to them with a face in which the 
eye was roving, though it was still good-humoured and 
smiling. 

&quot; And the result ?&quot; said Eve. 


166 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; Is no: quite as flattering as I could wish. We are ma- 
terially within a degree of the coast ; but, as the wind is 
gone, or nearly so, we may hope to find a shift that will 
shove us farther from the land. And now I have dealt 
frankly with you, let me beg you will keep the secret, for 
my people will be dreaming of Turks, instead of working, 
if they knew the fact.&quot; 

It required no great observation to discover that Captain 
Truck was far from satisfied with the position of his ship. 
Without any after-sail, and almost without the means of 
making any, it was idle to think of hauling off from the 
land, more especially against the heavy sea that was still 
rolling in from the north-west ; and his present object was 
to make the Cape de Verdes, before reaching which he 
would be certain to meet the trades, and where, of course, 
there would be some chance of repairing damages. His ap 
prehensions would have been much less were the ship a 
degree further west, as the prevailing winds in this part of 
the ocean are from the northward and eastward ; but it was 
no easy matter to force a ship that distance under a fore 
sail, the only regular sail that now remained in its place. 
It is true, he had some of the usual expedients of seamen at 
his command, and the people were immediately set about 
them ; but, in consequence of the principal spars having 
gone so near the decks, it became exceedingly difficult to 
rig jury-masts. 

Something must be attempted, however, and the spare 
spars were got out, and all the necessary preparations were 
commenced, in order that they might be put into their 
places and rigged, as well as circumstances would allow. As 
soon as the sea went down, and the steadiness of the ship 
would permit, Mr. Leach succeeded in getting up an awk 
ward lower studding-sail, and a sort of a stay-sail forward, 
and with these additions to their canvas, the ship was 
brought to head south, with the wind light at the westward. 
The sea was greatly diminished about noon ; but a mile an 
hour, for those who had so long a road before them, and 
who were so near a coast that was known to be fearfully 
inhospitable, was a cheerless progress, and the cry of 
&quot; sail, ho !&quot; early in the afternoon, diffused a general joy 
in the Montauk. 


HOMEWARD BOUKD. 167 

The stranger was made to the southward and eastward, 
and was standing on a course that must bring her quite near 
to their own track, as the Montauk then headed. The wind 
was so light, however, that Captain Truck gave it as his 
opinion they could not speak until night had set in. 

&quot; Unless the coast has brought him up, yonder flaunting 
gentleman, who seems to have had better luck with his light 
canvas than ourselves, must be the Foam,&quot; he said. &quot; To 
bacco, or no tobacco, bride or bridegroom, the fellow has 
us at last, and all the consolation that is left is, that we shall 
be much obliged to him, now, if he will carry us to Ports 
mouth, or into any other Christian haven. We have shown 
him what a kettle-bottom can do before the wind, and now 
let him give us a tow to windward like a generous antago 
nist. That is what I call Vattel, my dear young lady.&quot; 

&quot; If he do this, he will indeed prove himself a generous 
adversary,&quot; said Eve, &quot; and we shall be certain to speak 
well of his humanity, whatever we may think of his obsti 
nacy.&quot; 

Are you quite sure the ship in sight is the corvette ?&quot; 
asked Paul Blunt. 

&quot; Who else can it be ? Two vessels are quite sufficient 
to be jammed down here on the coast of Africa, and we 
know that the Englishman must be somewhere to leeward 
of us ; though, I will confess, I had believed him much 
farther, if not plump up among the Mohammedans, begin 
ning to reduce to a feather-weight, like Captain Riley, who 
came out with just his skin and bones, after a journey across 
the desert.&quot; 

&quot; I do not think those top-gallant-sails have the symmetry 
of the canvas of a ship-of-war.&quot; 

Captain Truck looked steadily at the young man an in 
stant, as one regards a sound criticism, and then he turned 
his eye towards the object of which they were speaking. 

&quot; You are right, sir,&quot; he rejoined, after a moment of ex- 
amination ; &quot; and I have had a lesson in my own trade 
from one young enough to be my son. The stranger is 
clearly no cruiser, and as there is no port in-shore of us 
anywhere near this latitude, he is probably some trader who 
has been driven down here, like ourselves.&quot; 


168 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; And I m very sure, captain,&quot; put in Sir George Tern- 
plemore, &quot; we ought to rejoice sincerely that, like ourselves 
he has escaped shipwreck. For my part, I pity the poor 
wretches on board the Foam most sincerely, and could al 
most wish myself a Catholic, that one might yet offer up 
sacrifices in their behalf.&quot; 

&quot; You have shown yourself a Christian throughout all 
that affair, Sir George, and I shall not forget your hand 
some offers to befriend the ship, rather than let us fall into 
the jaws of the Philistines. We were in a category more 
than once, with that nimble-footed racer in our wake, and 
you were the man, Sir George, who manifested the most 
hearty desire to get us out.&quot; 

&quot; I ever feel an interest in the ship in which I embark,&quot; 
returned the gratified baronet, who was not displeased at 
hearing his liberality so openly commended ; &quot; and I would 
cheerfully have given a thousand pounds in preference to 
being taken. I rather think, now, that is the true spirit for 
a sportsman !&quot; 

&quot; Or for an admiral, my good sir. To be frank with you, 
Sir George, when I first had the honour of your acquaint 
ance, I did not think you had so much in you. There was 
a sort of English attention to small wares, a species of 
knee-buckleism about your debutt, as Mr. Dodge calls it, 
that made me distrust your being the whole-souled and one- 
idea d man I find you really are.&quot; 

&quot; Oh ! I do like my comforts,&quot; said Sir George, laughing. 

&quot; That you do, and I am only surprised you don t smoke. 
Now. Mr. Dodge, your room-mate, there, tells me you have 
six-and-thirty pair of breeches !&quot; 

11 1 have yes, indeed, I have. One would wish to go 
abroad decently clad.&quot; 

&quot; Well ! if it should be our luck to travel in the deserts, 
your wardrobe would rig out a whole harem.&quot; 

&quot; I wish, captain, you would do me the favour to step into 
our state-room, some morning ; I have many curious things 
I should like to show you. A set of razors, in particular, 
and a dressing-case and a pair of patent pistols and 
that life-preserver that you admire so much, Mr. Dodge. 
Mr. Dodge ha? seen most of my curiosities, I believe, and 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 169 

will tell you some of them are really worth a moment s 
examination.&quot; 

&quot; Yes, captain, I must say,&quot; observed Mr. Dodge, for 
this conversation was held apart between the three, the 
mate keeping an eye the while on the duty of the ship, for 
habit had given Mr. Truck the faculty of driving his people 
while he entertained his passengers &quot; Yes, captain, I must 
say I have met no gentleman who is better supplied with 
necessaries, than my friend, Sir George. But English gen 
tlemen are curious in such things, and I admit that I admire 
their ingenuity.&quot; 

&quot; Particularly in breeches, Mr. Dodge. Have you coats 
to match, Sir George?&quot; 

&quot; Certainly, sir. One would be a little absurd in his 
shirt sleeves. I wish, captain, we could make Mr. Dodge 
a little less of a republican. I find him a most agreeable 
room-mate, but rather annoying on the subject of kings and 
princes.&quot; 

&quot; You stick up for the people, Mr. Dodge, or to the old 
category ?&quot; 

&quot; On that subject, Sir George and I shall never agree, 
for he is obstinately monarchial ; but I tell him we shall 
treat him none the worse for that, when he gets among us. 
He has promised me a visit in our part of the country, and 
I have pledged myself to his being unqualifiedly well 
received ; and I think I know the whole meaning of a 
pledge.&quot; 

&quot;I understand Mr. Dodge,&quot; pursued the baronet, &quot;that 
he is the editor of a public journal, in which he entertains 
his readers with an account of his adventures and observa 
tions during his travels. * The Active Inquirer, is it not, 
Mr. Dodge?&quot; 

&quot; That is the name, Sir George. The Active Inquirer 
is the present name, though when we supported Mr. Adams 
it was called The Active Enquirer, with an E.&quot; 

&quot; A distinction without a difference ; I like that,&quot; inter 
rupted Captain Truck. &quot; This is the second time I have 
had the honour t3 sail with Mr. Dodge, and a more active 
inquirer never put foot in a ship, though I did not know the 
use he put his information to before. It is all in the way 
of trade, I find.&quot; 
15 


170 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; Mr. Dodge claims to belong to a profession, captain, 
and is quite above trade. He tells me many things have 
occurred on board this ship, since we sailed, that will make 
very eligible paragraphs.&quot; 

&quot; The d he does ! I should like particularly well, 

Mr. Dodge, to know what you will find to say concerning 
this category in which the Montauk is placed.&quot; 

&quot; Oh ! captain, no fear of me, when you are concerned. 
You know I am a friend, and you have no cause to appre 
hend any thing ; though I ll not answer for everybody else 
on board ; for there are passengers in this ship to whom I 
have decided antipathies, and whose deportment meets with 
my unqualified disapprobation.&quot; 

&quot; And you intend to paragraph them ?&quot; 

Mr. Dodge was now swelling with the conceit of a vulgar 
and inflated man, who not only fancies himself in possession 
of a power that others dread, but who was so far blinded 
to his own qualities as to think his opinion of importance 
to those whom he felt, in the minutest fibre of his envious 
and malignant system, to be in every essential his superiors. 
He did not dare express all his rancour, while he was un 
equal to suppressing it entirely. 

&quot; These Effinghams, and this Mr. Sharp, and that Mr. 
Blunt,&quot; he muttered, &quot; think themselves everybody s betters ; 
but we shall see ! America is not a country in which people 
can shut themselves up in rooms, and fancy they are lords 
and ladies.&quot; 

&quot; Bless my soul !&quot; said Captain Truck, with his affected 
simplicity of manner ; &quot; how did you find this out, Mr. 
Dodge ? What a thing it is, Sir George, to be an active in 
quirer !&quot; 

&quot; Oh ! I know when a man is blown up with notions of 
his own importance. As for Mr. John Efnngham, he has 
been so long abroad that he has forgotten that he is a going 
home to a country of equal rights !&quot; 

&quot; Very true, Mr. Dodge ; a country in which a man can 
not shut himself up in his room, whenever the notion seizes 
him. This is the spirit, Sir George, to make a great nation, 
and you see that the daughter is likely to prove worthy of 
the old lady But, my dear sir, are you quite sure that Mr. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 171 

John Effingham has absolutely so high a sentiment m his 
own favour. It would be awkward business to make a 
blunder in such a serious matter, and murder a paragraph 
for nothing. You should remember the mistake of the 
Irishman !&quot; 

&quot; What was that ?&quot; asked the baronet, who was com 
pletely mystified by the indomitable gravity of Captain 
Truck, whose character might be said to be actually formed 
by the long habit of treating the weaknesses of his fellow- 
creatures with cool contempt. &quot; We hear many good things 
at our club ; but I do not remember the mistake of the 
Irishman ?&quot; 

&quot; He merely mistook the drumming in his own ear, for 
some unaccountable noise that disturbed his companions.&quot; 

Mr. Dodge felt uncomfortable; but there is no one in 
whom a vulgar-minded man stands so much in awe as an 
immovable quiz, who has no scruple in using his power. 
He shook his head, therefore, in a menacing manner, and 
affecting to have something to do he went below, leaving 
the baronet and captain by themselves. 

&quot; Mr. Dodge is a stubborn friend of liberty,&quot; said the 
former, when his room-mate was out of hearing. 

&quot; That is he, and you have his own word for it. He has 
no notion of letting a man do as he has a mind to ! We are 
full of such active inquirers in America, and I don t care 
how many you shoot before you begin upon the white bears, 
Sir George.&quot; 

&quot; But it would be more gracious in the Effinghams, you 
must allow, captain, if they shut themselves up m their 
cabin less, and admitted us to their society a little oflener. 
f am quite of Mr. Dodge s way of thinking, that exclusion 
is excessively odious.&quot; 

&quot; There is a poor fellow in the steerage, Sir George, to 
whom I have given a piece of canvas to repair a damage to 
his mainsail, who would say the same thing, did he know 
of your six-and-thirtys. Take a cigar, my dear sir, and 
smoke away sorrow.&quot; 

&quot; Thankee, captain : I never smoke. We never smoke 
at our club, though some of us go, at times, to the divan to 
try a chibouk.&quot; 


172 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; We can t all have cabins to ourselves, or no one would 
live forward. If the Effinghams like their own apartment, 
I do honestly believe it is for a reason as simple as that it 
is the best in the ship. I ll warrant you, if there were a 
better, that they would be ready enough to change. I sup 
pose when we get in, Mr. Dodge will honour you with an 
article in The Active Inquirer ? &quot; 

&quot; To own the truth, he has intimated some such thing.&quot; 

&quot; And why not ? A very instructive paragraph might 
be made about the six-and-thirty pair of breeches, and the 
patent razors, and the dressing-case, to say nothing of the 
Rocky Mountains, and the white bears.&quot; 

Sir George now began to feel uncomfortable, and making 
a few unmeaning remarks about the late accident, he dis 
appeared. 

Captain Truck, who never smiled except at the corner of 
his left eye, turned away, and began rattling offhis people, and 
throwing in a hint or two to Saunders, with as much indif 
ference as if he were a firm believer in the unfailing ortho 
doxy of a newspaper, and entertained a profound respect 
for the editor of the Active Inquirer, in particular. 

The prognostic of the master concerning the strange ship 
proved true, for about nine at night she came within hail, 
and backed her maintop-sail. This vessel proved to be an 
American in ballast, bound from Gibraltar to New York; 
a return store-ship from the squadron kept in the Mediterra 
nean. She had met the gale to the westward of Madeira, 
and after holding on as long as possible, had also been com 
pelled to scud. According to the report of her officers, the 
Foam had run in much closer to the coast than herself, and 
it was their opinion she was lost. Their own escape was 
owing entirely to the wind s abating, for they had actually 
been within sight of the land, though having received no in 
jury, they had been able to haul off in season. 

Luckily, this ship was ballasted with fresh water, and 
Captain Truck passed the night in negotiating a transfer of 
his steerage passengers, under an apprehension that, in tha 
crippled state of his own vessel, his supplies might be ex 
hausted before he could reach America. In the morning, 
the offer of being put on board the store-ship was made to 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 173 

those who chose to accept it, and all in the steerage, with 
most from the cabin, profited by the occasion to exchange 
a dismasted vessel for one that was, at least, full rigged. 
Provisions were transferred accordingly, and by noon next 
day the stranger made sail on a wind, the sea being toler 
ably smooth, and the breeze still ahead. In three hours 
she was out of sight to the northward and westward, the 
Montauk holding her own dull course to the southward, 
with the double view of striking the trades, or of reaching 
one of the Cape de Verdes. 


CHAPTER XV. 


Steph. His forward voice now is to speak well of his friend ; his back 
ward voice is to utter foul speeches, and to detract 

TEMPEST 

THE situation of the Montauk appeared more desolate 
than ever, after the departure of so many of her passengers. 
So long as her decks were thronged there was an air of life 
about her, that served to lessen disquietude, but now that 
she was left by all in the steerage, and by so many in the 
cabins, those who remained began to entertain livelier ap 
prehensions of the future. When the upper sails of the 
store-ship sunk as a speck in the ocean, Mr. Effingham re 
gretted that he, too, had not overcome his reluctance to a 
crowded and inconvenient cabin, and gone on board her, 
with his own party. Thirty years before he would have 
thought himself fortunate in finding so good a ship, and 
accommodations so comfortable ; but habit and indulgence 
change all our opinions, and he had now thought it next to 
impossible to place Eve and Mademoiselle Viefville in a 
situation that was so common to those who travelled b} sea 
at the commencement of the century. 

Most of the cabin passengers, as has just been stated, de- 
oided differently, none remaining but the Effinghams and 


174 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

their party, Mr. Sharp, Mr. Blunt, Sir George Templemore 
Mr. Dodge, and Mr. Monday. Mr. Effingham had been 
influenced by the superior comforts of the packet, and his 
hopes that a speedy arrival at the islands would enable the 
ship tc refit, in time to reach America almost as soon as the 
dull-sailing vessel which had just left them. Mr. Sharp 
and Mr. Blunt had both expressed a determination to share 
his fortunes, which was indirectly saying that they would 
share the fortunes of his daughter. John Effingham re 
mained, as a matter of course, though he had made a pro 
position to the stranger to tow them into port, an arrange 
ment that failed in consequence of the two captains dis 
agreeing as to the course proper to be steered, as well as to 
a more serious obstacle in the way of compensation, the 
stranger throwing out some pretty plain hints about salvage ; 
and Mr. Monday staying from an inveterate attachment to 
the steward s stores, more of which, he rightly judged, 
would now fall to his share than formerly. 

Sir George Templemore had gone on board the store- 
ship, and had given some very clear demonstrations of an 
intention to transfer himself and the thirty-six pair of 
breeches to that vessel ; but on examining her comforts, 
and particularly the confined place in which he should be 
compelled to stow himself and his numerous curiosities, he 
was unequal to the sacrifice. On the other hand, he knew 
an entire state-room would now fall to his share, and this 
self-indulged and feeble-minded young man preferred his 
immediate comfort, and the gratification of his besetting 
weakness, to his safety. 

As for Mr. Dodge, he had the American mania of hurry, 
and was one of the first to propose a general swarming, as 
soon as it was known the stranger could receive them. 
During the night, he had been actively employed in foment- 
ing a party to &quot; resolve&quot; that prudence required the Mon- 
tauk should be altogether abandoned, and even after this 
scheme failed, he had dwelt eloquently in corners (Mr. 
Dodge was too meek, and too purely democratic, ever to 
speak aloud, unless under the shadow of public opinion,) on 
the propriety of Captain Truck s yielding his own judgment 
to that of the majority. He might as well have scoWed 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 175 

against the late gale, in the expectation of out-railing the 
tempest, as to make such an attempt on the firm-set notions 
of the old seaman concerning his duty ; for no sooner was 
the thing intimated to him than he growled a denial in a 
tone that he was little accustomed to use to his passengers, 
and one that effectually silenced remonstrance. When 
these two plans had failed, Mr. Dodge endeavoured strenu 
ously to show Sir George that his interests and safety were 
on the side of a removal ; but with all his eloquence, and 
with the hold that incessant adulation had actually given 
him on the mind of the other, he was unable to overcome 
his love of ease, and chiefly the passion for the enjoyment 
of the hundred articles of comfort and curiosity in which 
the baronet so much delighted. The breeches might have 
been packed in a trunk, it is true, and so might the razors, 
and the dressing-case, and the pistols, and most of the other 
things ; but Sir George loved to look at them daily, and as 
many as possible were constantly paraded before his eyes. 

To the surprise of every one, Mr. Dodge, on finding it 
impossible to prevail on Sir George Templemore to leave 
the packet, suddenly announced his own intention to remain 
also. Few stopped to inquire into his motives in the hurry 
of such a moment. To his room-mate he affirmed that the 
strong friendship he had formed for him, could alone induce 
him to relinquish the hope of reaching home previously to 
the autumn elections. 

Nor did Mr. Dodge greatly colour the truth in making 
this statement. He was an American demagogue precisely 
in obedience to those feelings and inclinations which would 
have made him a courtier anywhere else. It is true, he had 
travelled, or thought he had travelled, in a diligence with 
a countess or two, but from these he had been obliged to 
separate early on account of the force of things ; while 
here he had got a bona-Jtde English baronet all to himself, 
in a confined state-room, and his imagination revelled in 
the glory and gratification of such an acquaintance. What 
were the proud and distant Effinghams to Sir George Tern- 
plemore ! He even ascribed their reserve with the baronet 
to envy, a passion of whose existence he had very lively 
perceptions, and he found a secret charm in being shut up 


176 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

in so small an apartment with a man who could excite envy 
in an Effingham. Rather than abandon his aristocratica T 
prize, therefore, whom he intended to exhibit to all his de 
mocratic friends in his own neighbourhood, Mr. Dodge de 
termined to abandon his beloved hurry, looking for his 
reward in the future pleasure of talking of Sir George 
Templemore and his curiosities, and of his sayings and his 
jokes, in the circle at home. Odd, moreover, as it may 
seem, Mr. Dodge had an itching desire to remain with the 
Effinghams ; for while he was permitting jealousy and a 
consciousness of inferiority to beget hatred, he was willing 
at any moment to make peace, provided it could be done 
by a frank admission into their intimacy. As to the inno 
cent family that was rendered of so much account to the 
happiness of Mr. Dodge, it seldom thought of that indi 
vidual at all, little dreaming of its own importance in his 
estimation, and merely acted in obedience to its own culti 
vated tastes and high principles in disliking his company. 
It fancied itself, in this particular, the master of its own 
acts, and this so much the more, that with the reserve of 
good-breeding its members seldom indulged in censorious 
personal remarks, and never in gossip. 

As a consequence of these contradictory feelings of Mr. 
Dodge, arid of the fastidiousness of Sir George Temple- 
more, the interest &quot; her two admirers took in Eve, the devo 
tion of Mr. Monday to sherry and champaigne, and the 
decision of Mr. Effingham, these persons therefore remained 
the sole occupants of the cabins of the Montauk. Of the 
oi polloi who had left them, we have hitherto said nothing, 
because this separation was to remove them entirely from 
the interest of our incidents. 

If we were to say that Captain Truck did not feel melan 
choly as the store-ship sunk beneath the horizon, we should 
represent that stout-hearted mariner as more stoical than 
he actually was. In the course of a long and adventurous 
professional life, he had encountered calamities before, but 
he had never before been compelled to call in assistance to 
deliver his passengers at the stipulated port, since he had 
commanded a packet. He felt the necessity, in the present 
instance, as a sort of stain upon his character as a seaman, 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 177 

though in fact the accident which had occurred was chiefly 
to be attributed to a concealed defect in the mainmast. The 
honest master sighed often, smoked nearly double the usual 
number of cigars in the course of the afternoon, and when 
the sun went down gloriously in the distant west, he stood 
gazing at the sky in melancholy silence, as long as any of 
the magnificent glory that accompanies the decline of day 
lingered among the vapours of the horizon. He then sum 
moned Saunders to the quarter-deck, where the following 
dialogue took place between them : 

&quot; This is a devil of a category to be in, Master Steward !&quot; 
&quot; Well, he might be better, sir. I only wish the good 
butter may endure until we get in.&quot; 

&quot; If it fail, I shall go nigh to see you clapt into the State s 
prison, or at least into that Gothic cottage on Blackwell s 
Island.&quot; 

&quot; There is an end to all things, Captain Truck, if you 
please, sir, even to butter. I presume, sir, Mr. Vattel, if 
he know anything of cookery, will admit that.&quot; 

&quot; Harkee, Saunders, if you ever insinuate again that 
Vattel belonged to the coppers, in my presence, I ll take 
the liberty to land you on the coast here, where you may 
amuse yourself in stewing young monkeys for your own 
dinner. I saw you aboard the other ship, sir, overhauling 
her arrangements ; what sort of a time will the gentlemen 
be likely to have in her ?&quot; 

&quot; Atrocious, sir ! I give you my honour, as a real gentle 
man, sir. Why, would you believe it, Captain Truck, the 
steward is a downright nigger, and he wears ear-rings, and 
a red flannel shirt, without the least edication. As for the 
cook, sir, he would nt pass an examination for Jemmy Ducks 
aboard here, and there is but one camboose, and one set of 
coppers.&quot; 

&quot; Well, the steerage-passengers, in that case, will fare as 
well as the cabin.&quot; 

&quot; Yes, sir, and the cabin as bad as the steerage ; and for 
my part, I abomernate liberty and equality.&quot; 

&quot; You should converse with Mr. Dodge on that subject, 
Master Saunders, and let the hardest fend off in the argu 
ment. May I inquire, sir, if you happen to remember the 
day of the week ?&quot; 


178 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; Beyond controversy, sir ; to-morrow will be Sunday. 
Captain Tr jck, and I think it a thousand pities we have 
not an opportunity to solicit the prayers and praises of the 
church, sir, in our behalf, sir.&quot; 

&quot; If to-morrow will be Sunday, to-day must be Saturday, 
Mr. Saunders, unless this last gale has deranged the calen 
dar.&quot; 

&quot; Quite naturally, sir, and werry justly remarked. Every 
body admits there is no better navigator than Captain 
Truck, sir.&quot; 

&quot; This may be true, my honest fellow,&quot; returned the 
captain moodily, after making three or four heavy puffs ai 
the cigar ; &quot; but I am sadly out of my road down here in 
the country of your amiable family, just now. If this be 
Saturday, there will be a Saturday night before long, and 
look to it, that we have our * sweethearts and wives. 1 
Though I have neither myself, I feel the necessity of some 
thing cheerful, to raise my thoughts to the future.&quot; 

&quot; Depend on my discretion, sir, and I rejoice to hear you 
say it ; for I think, sir, a ship is never so respectable and 
genteel as when she celebrates all the anniwersaries. You 
will be quite a select and agreeable party to-night, sir.&quot; 

With this remark Mr. Saunders withdrew, to confer with 
Toast on the subject, and Captain Truck proceeded to give 
his orders for the night to Mr. Leach. The proud ship did 
indeed present a sight to make a seaman melancholy ; for 
to the only regular sail that stood, the foresail, by this time 
was added a lower studding-sail, imperfectly rigged, and 
which would not resist a fresh puff, while a very inartificial 
jury-topmast supported a topgallant-sail, that could only be 
carried in a free wind. Aft, preparations were making of 
a more permanent nature, it is true. The upper part of the 
mainmast had been cut away, as low as the steerage-deck, 
where an arrangement had been made to step a spare top 
mast. The spar itself was lying on the deck rigged, and a 
pair of sheers were m readiness to be hoisted, in order to 
sway it up ; but night approaching, the men had been broken 
off, to rig the yards, bend the sails, and to fit the other spars 
it was intended to use, postponing the last act, that of send 
ing all up, until morning. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 179 

** We are likely to have a quiet night of it,&quot; said the cap 
tain, glancing his eyes round at the heavens ; &quot; and at eight 
o clock to-morrow let all hands be called, when we will 
turn-to with a will, and make a brig of the old hussey. 
This topmast will do to bear the strain of the spare main- 
yard, unless there come another gale, and by reefing the 
new mainsail we shall be able to make something out of it. 
The topgallant-mast will fit of course above, and we may 
make out, by keeping a little free, to carry the sail : at need, 
we may possibly coax the contrivance into carrying a stud 
ding-sail also. We have sticks for no more, though we 11 
endeavour to get up something aft, out of the spare spars 
obtained from the store-ship. You may knock off at four 
bells, Mr. Leach, and let the poor fellows have their Satur 
day s night in peace. It is a misfortune enough to be dis 
masted, without having one s grog stopped.&quot; 

The mate of course obeyed, and the evening shut in beau 
tifully and placid, with all the glory of a mild night, in a 
latitude as low as that they were in. They who have never 
seen the ocean under such circumstances, know little of its 
charms in its moments of rest. The term of sleeping is 
well applied to its impressive stillness, for the long sluggish 
swells on which the ship rose and fell, hardly disturbed its 
surface. The moon did not rise until midnight, and Eve, 
accompanied by Mademoiselle Viefville and most of her 
male companions, walked the deck by the bright starlight, 
until fatigued with pacing their narrow bounds. 

The song and the laugh rose frequently from the fore 
castle, where the crew were occupied with their Saturday 
night ; and occasionally a rude sentiment in the way of a&quot; 
toast was heard. But weariness soon got the better of mer 
riment forward, and the hard-worked mariners, who had 
the watch below, soon went down to their berths, leaving 
those whose duty it was to remain to doze away the long 
hours in such places as they could find on deck. 

&quot; A white squall,&quot; said Captain Truck, looking up at the 
uncouth sails that hardly impelled the vessel a mile in the 
hour through the water, &quot; would soon furl all our canvas 
for us, and we are in the very place for such an interlude. * 

&quot; And what would then become of us ?&quot; asked Mademoi 
selle Viefville quickly- 


180 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; You had better ask what would become of that apology 
for a topsail, mam selle, and yonder stun sail, which looks 
like an American in London without straps to his pantaloons. 
The canvas would play kite, and we should be left to renew 
our inventions. A ship could scarcely be in better plight 
than we are at this moment, to meet with one of these Afri 
can flurries.&quot; 

&quot; In which case, captain,&quot; observed Mr. Monday, who 
stood by the skylight watching the preparations below, &quot; we 
can go to our Saturday-night without fear; for I see the 
steward has everything ready, and the punch looks very 
inviting, to say nothing of the champaigne.&quot; 

&quot; Gentlemen, we will not forget our duty,&quot; returned the 
captain ; &quot; we are but a small family, and so much the 
greater need that we should prove a jolly one. Mr. Effing- 
ham, I hope we are to have the honour of your company 
at * sweethearts and wives. &quot; 

Mr. Effingham had no wife, and the invitation coming 
under such peculiar circumstances, produced a pang that 
Eve, who felt his arm tremble, well understood. She mildly 
intimated her intention to go below however ; the whole 
party followed, and lucky it was for the captain s entertain 
ment that she quitted the deck, as few would otherwise have 
been present at it. By pressing the passengers to favour 
him with their company, he succeeded in the course of a 
few minutes in getting all the gentlemen seated at the cabin- 
table, with a glass of delicious punch before each man. 

&quot; Mr. Saunders may not be a conjuror or a mathema 
tician, gentlemen,&quot; cried Captain Truck, as he ladled out 
the beverage ; &quot; but he understands the philosophy of sweet 
and sour, strong and weak ; and I will venture to praise his 
liquor without tasting it. Well, gentlemen, there are better- 
rigged ships on the ocean than this of ours ; but there are 
few with more comfortable cabins, or stouter hulls, or better 
company. Please God we can get a few sticks aloft again, 
now that we are quit of our troublesome shadow, I think I 
may flatter myself with a reasonable hope of landing you, 
that do me the honour to stand by me. in New York, in less 
time than a common drogger would make the passage, with 
all his legs and arms. Let our first toast be, \f you please, 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 181 

A happy end to that which has had a disastrous begin* 
ning.&quot; 

Captain Truck s hard face twitched a little while he was 
making this address, and as he swallowed the punch, his 
eyes glistened in spite of himself. Mr. Dodge, Sir George, 
and Mr. Monday repeated the sentiment sonorously, word 
for word, while the other gentlemen bowed, and drank it in 
silence. 

The commencement of a regular scene of merriment is 
usually dull and formal, and it was some time before Captain 
Truck could bring any of his companions up to the point 
where he wished to see them ; for though a perfectly sober 
man, he loved a social glass, and particularly at those times 
and seasons which conformed to the practice of his calling. 
Although Eve and her governess had declined taking their 
seats at the table, they consented to place themselves where 
they might be seen, and where they might share occasionally 
in the conversation. 

&quot; Here have I been drinking sweethearts and wives of a 
Saturday-night, my dear young lady, these forty years and 
more,&quot; said Captain Truck, after the party had sipped their 
liquor for a minute or two, &quot; without ever falling into luck s 
latitude, or furnishing myself with either ; but, though so 
negligent of my own interests and happiness, I make it an 
invariable rule to advise all my young friends to get spliced 
before they are thirty. Many is the man who has come 
aboard my ship a determined bachelor in his notions, who 
has left it at the end of the passage ready to marry the first 
pretty young woman he fell in with.&quot; 

As Eve had too much of the self-respect of a lady, and 
of the true dignity of her sex, to permit jokes concerning 
matrimony, or a treatise on love, to make a part of her 
conversation, and all the gentlemen of her party understood 
her character too well, to say nothing of their own habits, 
to second this attempt of the captain s, after a vapid remark 
or two from the others, this rally of the honest mariner pro 
duced no suites. 

&quot; Are we not unusually low, Captain Truck,&quot; inquired 
Paul Blunt, with a view to change the discourse, &quot; not to 
have fallen in with the trades ? I have commonly met with 
16 


182 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

those winds on this coast as high as twenty-six or twenty 
seven, and I believe you observed to-day, in twenty-four.&quot; 

Captain Truck looked hard at the speaker, and when he 
had done, he nodded his head in approbation. 

&quot; You have travelled this road before, Mr. Blunt, I per 
ceive. I have suspected you of being a brother chip, from 
the moment I saw you first put your foot on the side-cleets 
in getting out of the boat. You did not come aboard par 
rot-toed, like a country-girl waltzing ; but set the ball of 
the foot firmly on the wood, and swung off the length of 
your arms, like a man who knows how to humour the mus 
cles. Your present remark, too, shows you understand 
where a ship ought to be, in order to be in her right place. 
As for the trades, they are a little uncertain, like a lady s 
mind when she has more than one good offer ; for I ve 
known them to blow as high as thirty, and then again, to 
fail a vessel as low as twenty-three, or even lower. It is 
my private opinion, gentlemen, and I gladly cake this oppor 
tunity to make it public, that we are on the edge of the 
trades, or in those light baffling winds which prevail along 
their margin, as eddies play near the track o strong steady 
currents in the ocean. If we can force the ship fairly out 
of this trimming region that is the word, I believe, Mr. 
Dodge we shall do well enough ; for a north-east, or an 
east wind, would soon send us up with the islands, even 
under the rags we carry. We are very near the coast, 
certainly much nearer than I could wish ; but when we 
do get the good breeze, it will be all the better for us, as it 
will find us well to windward.&quot; 

&quot; But these trades, Captain Truck ?&quot; asked Eve : &quot; if they 
always blow in the same direction, how is it possible that 
the late gale should drive a ship into the quarter of the 
ocean where they prevail ?&quot; 

&quot; Always, means sometimes, my dear young lady. Al 
though light winds prevail near the edge of the trades, gales % 
and tremendous fellows too, sometimes blow there also, as 
we have just seen. I think we shall now have settled wea 
ther, and that our chance of a safe arrival, more particu 
larly in some southern American port, is almost certain, 
though our chance for a speedy arrival be not quite as good. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 188 

I hope before twenty-four hours are passed, to see our decks 
white with sand. 

&quot; Is that a phenomenon seen here ?&quot; asked the father. 

&quot; Often, Mr. Effingham, when ships are close in with 
Africa, and are fairly in the steady winds. To say the 
truth, the country abreast of us, some twenty or thirty 
miles distant, is not the most inviting ; and though it may 
not be easy to say where the garden of Eden is, it is not 
hazardous to say it is not there.&quot; 

&quot; If we are so very near the coast, why do we not see 
it?&quot; 

&quot; Perhaps we might from aloft, if we had any aloft just 
now. We are to the southward of the mountains, however, 
and off a part of the country where the Great Desert makes 
from the coast. And now, gentlemen, I perceive Mr. Mon 
day, finds all this sand arid, and I ask permission to give 
you, one and all, * Sweethearts and wives. &quot; 

Most of the company drank the usual toast with spirit, 
though both the Effinghams scarce wetted their lips. Eve 
stole a timid glance at her father, and her own eyes were 
filled with tears as she withdrew them ; for she knew that 
every allusion of this nature revived in him mournful re 
collections. As for her cousin Jack, he was so confirmed 
a bachelor that she thought nothing of his want of sympa 
thy with such a sentiment. 

&quot; You must have a care for your heart, in America, Sir 
George Templemore,&quot; cried Mr. Dodge, whose tongue 
loosened with the liquor he drank. &quot; Our ladies are cele 
brated for their beauty, and are immensely popular, I can 
assure you.&quot; 

Sir George looked pleased, and it is quite probable 
his thoughts ran on the one particular vestment of the six- 
and-thirty, in which he ought to make his first appearance 
in such a society. 

&quot; I allow the American ladies to be handsome,&quot; said Mr. 
Monday; &quot;but I think no Englishman need be in any par 
ticular danger of his heart from such a cause, after having 
been accustomed to the beauty of his own island. Captain 
Truck, I have the honour to drink your health.&quot; 

&quot; Fairly said,&quot; cried the captain, bowing to the comph- 


184 HOMEWARD BOUND* 

ment ; &quot; and I ascribe my own hard fortune to the fact that 
I have been kept sailing between two countries so much fa 
voured in this particular, that I have never been able to 
make up my mind which to prefer. I have wished a thou 
sand times there was but one handsome woman in the 
world, when a man would have nothing to do but fall in 
love with her ; and make up his mind to get married at 
once, or to hang himself.&quot; 

&quot; That is a cruel wish to us men,&quot; returned Sir George, 
&quot; as we should be certain to quarrel for the beauty.&quot; 

&quot; In such a case,&quot; resumed Mr. Monday, &quot; we common 
men would have to give way to the claims of the nobility 
and gentry, and satisfy ourselves with plainer companions ; 
though an Englishman loves his independence, and might 
rebel. I have the honour to drink your health and happi 
ness, Sir George.&quot; 

&quot; I protest against your principle, Mr. Monday,&quot; said 
Mr. Dodge, &quot; which is an invasion on human rights. Perfect 
freedom of action is to be maintained in this matter as in 
all others. I acknowledge that the English ladies are ex 
tremely beautiful, but I shall always maintain the supre 
macy of the American fair.&quot; 

&quot; We will drink their healths, sir. I am far from denying 
their beauty, Mr. Dodge, but I think you must admit that 
they fade earlier than our British ladies. God bless them 
both, however, and I empty this glass to the two entire na 
tions, with all my heart and soul.&quot; 

&quot; Perfectly polite, Mr. Monday ; but as to the fading of 
the ladies, I am not certain that I can yield an unqualified 
approbation to your sentiment.&quot; 

&quot; Nay, sir, your climate, you will allow, is none of the 
best, and it wears out constitutions almost as fast as your 
states make them.&quot; 

&quot; I hope there is no real danger to be apprehended from 
the climate,&quot; said Sir George : &quot; I particularly detest bad 
climates ; and for that reason have always made it a rule 
never to go into Lincolnshire.&quot; 

&quot; In that case, Sir George, you had better have stayed 
at home. In the way of climate, a man seldom betters 
himself by leaving old England. Now this is the tenth 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 185 

time Pve been in America, allowing that I ever reach there, 
and although I entertain a profound respect for the country, 
T find myself growing older every time I quit it. Mr. 
Effingham, I do myself the favour to drink to your health 
and happiness.&quot; 

&quot; You live too well when amongst us, Mr. Monday,&quot; 
said the captain ; &quot; there are too many soft crabs, hard 
clams, and canvas-backs ; too much old Madeira, and ge 
nerous Sherry, for a man of your well-known taste to re 
sist them. Sit less time at table, and go oftener to church 
this trip, and let us hear your report of the consequences a 
twelvemonth hence.&quot; 

You quite mistake my habits, Captain Truck, I give 
you my honour. Although a judicious eater, I seldom take 
anything that is compounded-, being a plain roast and boiled 
man ; a true old-fashioned Englishman in this respect, sat 
isfying my appetite with solid beef and mutton, and turkeys 
and pork, and puddings and potatoes, and turnips and car 
rots, and similar simple food; and then I never drink. 
Ladies, I ask the honour to be permitted to wish you a hap 
py return to your native countries. I ascribe all the diffi 
culty, sir, to the climate, which will not permit d man to 
digest properly.&quot; 

&quot; Well, Mr. Monday, I subscribe t&amp;lt;* most of your opin&amp;lt; 
ions, and I believe few men cross the ocean together that 
are more harmonious in sentiment, in general, than has 
proved to be the case between you and Sir George, and my 
self,&quot; observed Mr. Dodge, glancing obliquely and point 
edly at the rest of the party, as if he thought they were in 
a decided minority ; &quot; but in this instance, I feel constrain 
ed to record my vote in the negative. I believe America 
has as good a climate, and as good general digestion as 
commonly falls to the lot of mortals : more than this I do 
not claim for the country, and less than this I should be re 
luctant to maintain. I have travelled a little, gentlemen, 
not as much, perhaps, as the Messrs. Effinghams ; but then 
a man can see no more than is to be seen, and I do affirm, 
Captain Truck, that in my poor judgment, which I know is 
good for nothing &quot; 

&quot; Why do you use it, then ?&quot; abruptly asked the straight 
forward captain ; &quot; why not rely on a better 1&quot; 
16* 


188 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

* We must use such as we have, or go without, sir ; and 
I suspect, in my very poor judgment, which is probably 
poorer than that of most others on board, that America is a 
very good sort of a country. At all events, after having 
seen something of other countries, and governments, and 
people, I am of opinion that America, as a country, is quite 
good enough for me.&quot; 

&quot; You never said truer words, Mr. Dodge, and I beg you 
will join Mr. Monday and myself in a fresh glass of punch, 
just to help on the digestion. You have seen more of hu 
man nature than your modesty allows you to proclaim, and 
I dare say this company would be gratified if you would 
overcome all scruples, and let us know your private opin 
ions of the different people you have visited. Tell us some 
thing of that dittur you made on the Rhine.&quot; 

&quot; Mr. Dodge intends to publish, it is to be hoped !&quot; ob 
served Mr. Sharp ; &quot; and it may not be fair to anticipate 
his matter.&quot; 

&quot; I beg, gentlemen, you will have no scruples on that 
score, for my work will be rather philosophical and gene 
ral, than of the particular nature of private anecdotes. 
Saunders, hand me the manuscript journal you will find on 
the shelf of our state-room, next to Sir George s patent 
tooth-pick case. This is the book ; and now, gentlemen 
and ladies, I beg you to remember that these are merely 
the ideas as they arose, and not my more mature reflec 
tions.&quot; 

&quot; Take a little punch, sir,&quot; interrupted the captain, again, 
whose hard nor -west face was set in the most demure at 
tention. &quot; There is nothing like punch to clear the voice, 
Mr. Dodge ; the acid removes the huskiness, the sugar 
softens the tones, the water mellows the tongue, and the Ja 
maica braces the muscles. With a plenty of punch, a man 
soon gets to be another I forget the name of that great 
orator of antiquity, it wasn t Vattel, however.&quot; 

&quot; You mean Demosthenes, sir ; and, gentlemen, I beg 
you to remark that this orator was a republican : but there 
can be no question that liberty is favourable to the encour 
agement of ail the higher qualities. Would you prefer a 
few notes on Paris, ladies, or shall I commence with some 
extracts about the Rhine ?&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 187 

&quot; Oh I de grace, Monsieur, be so very kind as not to 
overlook Paris /&quot; said Mademoiselle Viefville. 

Mr. Dodge bowed graciously, and turning over the leaves 
of his private journal, he alighted in the heart of the great 
city named. After some preliminary hemming, he com 
menced reading in a grave didactic tone, that sufficiently 
showed the value he had attached to his own observations. 

&quot; Dejjuned at ten, as usual, an hour, that I find exceed 
ingly unreasonable and improper, and one that would maet 
with general disapprobation in America. I do not wonder 
that a people gets to be immoral and depraved in their prac 
tices, who keep such improper hours. The mind acquires 
habits of impurity, and all the sensibilities become blunted, 
by taking the meals out of the natural seasons. I impute 
much of the corruption of France to the periods of the day 
in which the food is taken &quot; 

&quot; Voila une drole d idee /&quot; ejaculated Mademoiselle Vief 
ville. 

&quot; . In which food is taken,&quot; repeated Mr. Dodge, who 
fancied the involuntary exclamation was in approbation of 
the justice of his sentiments. Indeed the custom of taking 
wine at this meal, together with the immorality of the hour, 
must be chief reasons why the French ladies are so much 
in the practice of drinking to excess 

&quot; Mais, monsieur /&quot; 

&quot; You perceive, mademoiselle calls in question the accu 
racy of your facts,&quot; observed Mr. Blunt, who, in common 
with all the listeners, Sir George and Mr. Monday excepted, 
began to enjoy a scene which at first had promised nothing 
but ennui and disgust. 

&quot; I have it on the best authority, I give you my honour, 
or I would not introduce so grave a charge in a work of 
this contemplated importance. I obtained my information 
from an English gentleman who has resided twelve years 
in Paris ; and he informs me that a very large portion of 
the women of fashion in that capital, let them belong to 
what country they will, are dissipated.&quot; 

&quot; A la bonne heure, monsieur ! mais, to drink, it is very 
different.&quot; 

&quot;Not so much so, mademoiselle, as you imagine,&quot; 


188 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

rejoined John Effingham. &quot; Mr. Dodge is a purist in lan 
guage as well as in morals, and he uses terms differently 
irom us less-instructed prattlers. By dissipated, he under 
stands a drunkard.&quot; 

&quot; Comment /&quot; 

&quot; Certainly ; Mr. John Effingham, I presume, will at 
least give us the credit in America in speaking our language 
better than any other known people. * After dejjunying, 
took a phyacre and rode to the palace, to see the king and 
royal family leave for Nully. &quot; 

&quot; Pour ou ?&quot; 

&amp;lt;: Pour Neuilly, mademoiselle&quot; Eve quietly answered. 

t For Nully. His majesty went on horseback, pre 
ceding his illustrious family and all the rest of the noble 
party, dressed in a red coat, laced with white on the seams, 
wearino- blue breeches and a cocked hat. &quot; 

del r 

&quot; I made the king a suitable republican reverence as he 
passed, which he answered with a gracious smile, and a 
benignant glance of his royal eye. The Hon. Louis Phi 
lippe Orleans, the present sovereign of the French, is a 
gentleman of portly and commanding appearance, and in 
his state attire, which he wore on this occasion, looks * every 
inch a king. He rides with grace and dignity, and sets an 
example of decorum and gravity to his subjects, by the 
solemnity of his air, that it is to be hoped will produce a 
beneficial and benign influence during this reign, on the 
manners of the nation. His dignity was altogether worthy 
of the schoolmaster of Haddonfield. &quot; 

&quot; Par exemple /&quot; 

&quot; Yes, mam selle, in the way of example, it is that I mean. 
Although a pure democrat, and every way opposed to exclu 
sion, I was particularly struck with the royalty of his ma 
jesty s demeanour, and the great simplicity of his whole 
deportment. I stood in the crowd next to a very accom 
plished countess, who spoke English, and she did me the 
honour to invite me to pay her a visit at her hotel, in the 
vicinity of the Bourse.&quot; 

&quot; Mon Dieu mon Dieu mon Dieu /&quot; 

&quot; After promising my fair companion to be punctual, I 
walked as far as Notter Dam &quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 189 

&quot; I wish Mr. Dodge would be a little more distinct in his 
names,&quot; said Mademoiselle Viefville, who had begun to take 
an interest in the subject, that even valueless opinions excite 
in us concerning things that touch the affections. 

&quot; Mr. Dodge is a little profane, mademoiselle,&quot; observed 
the captain ; &quot; but his journal probably was not intended 
for the ladies, and you must overlook it. Well, sir, you 
went to that naughty place &quot; 

&quot; To Notter Dam, Captain Truck, if you please, and 1 
flatter myself that is pretty good French.&quot; 

&quot; I think, ladies and gentlemen, we have a right to insist 
on a translation; for plain- roast and boiled men, like Mr. 
Monday and myself, are sometimes weeping when we ought 
to laugh, so long as the discourse is in anything but old- 
fashioned English. Help yourself, Mr. Monday, and re 
member, you never drink.&quot; 

&quot; Notter Dam, I believe, mam selle, means our Mother , 
the Church of our Mother. Notter, or Noster, our, Dam, 
Mother : Notter Dam. * Here I was painfully impressed 
with the irreligion of the structure, and the general absence 
of piety in the architecture. Idolatry abounded, and so did 
holy water. How often have I occasion to bless Providence 
for having made me one of the descendants of those pious 
ancestors who cast their fortunes in the wilderness in pre 
ference to giving up their hold on faith and charity ! The 
building is much inferior in comfort and true taste to the 
commoner American churches, and met with my unquali 
fied disapprobation. &quot; 

&quot; Est il possible que cela soit vrai, ma chere /&quot; 

&quot; Je Vespere, bien, mademoiselle.&quot; 

&quot; You may despair bien, cousin Eve,&quot; said John Effing- 
ham, whose fine curvilinear face curled even more than 
usual with contempt. 

The ladies whispered a few explanations, and Mr. Dodge, 
who fancied it was only necessary to resolve to be perfect 
to achieve his end, went on with his comments, with all the 
self-satisfaction of a provincial critic. 

&quot; From Notter Dam I proceeded in a cabrioly to the 
great national burying-ground, Pere la Chaise, so termed 
from the circumstance that its distance from the capital ren 
ders chaises necessary for the convoys &quot; 


190 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot;How s this, how s this !&quot; interrupted Mr. Truck ; &quot; 19 
one obliged to sail under a convoy about the streets of 
Paris ?&quot; 

&quot; Monsieur Dodge veut dire, convoi. Mr. Dodge mean 
to say, convoi,&quot; kindly interposed Mademoiselle Viefville. 

&quot; Mr. Dodge is a profound republican, and is an advocate 
for rotation in language, as well as in office : I must accuse 
you of inconstancy, my dear friend, if I die for it. You 
certainly do not pronounce your words always in the same 
way, and when I had the honour of carrying you out this 
time six months, when you were practising the continentals, 
as you call them, you gave very different sounds to many 
of the words I then had the pleasure and gratification of 
hearing you use.&quot; 

&quot; We all improve by travelling, sir, and I make no ques 
tion that my knowledge of foreign language is considerably 
enlarged by practice in the countries in which they are 
spoken.&quot; 

Here the reading of the journal was interrupted by a 
digression on language, in which Messrs. Dodge, Monday, 
Temptemore, and Truck were the principal interlocutors, 
and during which the pitcher of punch was twice renewed 
We shall not record much of this learned discussion, which 
was singularly common-place, though a few of the remarks 
may be given as a specimen of the whole. 

&quot; I must be permitted to say,&quot; replied Mr. Monday to 
one of Mr. Dodge s sweeping claims to superiority in favour 
of his own nation, &quot; that I think it quite extraordinary an 
Englishman should be obliged to go out of his own country 
in order to hear his own language spoken in purity ; and as 
one who has seen your people, Mr. Dodge, I will venture 
to affirm that nowhere is English better spoken than in Lan 
cashire. Sir George, I drink your health !&quot; 

&quot; More patriotic than just, Mr. Monday ; every body al 
lows that the American of the eastern states speaks the best 
English in the world, and I think either of these gentlemen 
will concede that.&quot; 

&quot; Under the penalty of being nobody,&quot; cried Captain 
Truck ; &quot; for my own part, I think, if a man wishes to 
hear the language in perfection, he ought to pass a week 
or ten days in the river. I must say, Mr. Dodge, I object 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 191 

to many of your sounds, particularly that of inyon, which 
I myself heard you call onion, no later than yesterday.&quot; 

&quot; Mr. Monday is a little peculiar in fancying that the best 
English is to be met with in Lancashire,&quot; observed Sir 
George Templemore ; &quot; for I do assure you that, in town, 
we have difficulty in understanding gentlemen from your 
part of the kingdom.&quot; 

This was a hard cut from one in whom Mr. Monday ex 
pected to find an ally, and that gentleman was driven to 
washing down the discontent it excited, in punch. 

&quot; But all this time we have interrupted the convoi, or 
convoy, captain,&quot; said Mr. Sharp ; &quot; and Mr. Dodge, to say 
nothing of the mourners, has every right to complain. I 
beg that gentleman will proceed with his entertaining ex 
tracts.&quot; 

Mr. Dodge hemmed, sipped a little more liquor, blew his 
nose, and continued : 

&quot; * The celebrated cemetery is, indeed, worthy of its high 
reputation. The utmost republican simplicity prevails in 
the interments, ditches being dug in which the bodies are 
laid, side by side, without distinction of rank, and with re 
gard only to the order in which the convoys arrive. I 
think this sentence, gentlemen, will have great success in 
America, where the idea of any exclusivenoss is quite 
odious to the majority.&quot; 

&quot; Well, for my part,&quot; said the captain, &quot; I should have 
no particular objection to being excluded from such a grave : 
one would be afraid of catching the cholera in so promis 
cuous a company.&quot; 

Mr. Dodge turned over a few leaves, and gave other 
extracts. 

&quot; The last six hours have been devoted to a profound 
investigation of the fine arts. My first visit was to the gul 
ly teen ; after which I passed an instructs e hour or two in 
the galleries of the Musy. &quot; 

&quot; Ou, done ?&quot; 

&quot; Le Musee, mademoiselle.&quot; 

&amp;lt; Where I discovered several very extraordinary 
things, in the way of sculpture and painting. I was par 
ticularly struck with the manner in which a plate was por 
trayed in the celebrated marriage of Cana, which might 


192 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

very well have been taken for real Delft, and there was one 
finger on the hand of a lady that seemed actually fitted to 
receive and to retain the hymeneal ring. &quot; 

&quot; Did you inquire if she were engaged 1 Mr. Monday, 
we will drink her health.&quot; 

&quot; Saint Michael and the Dragon is a shefdowory. 1 &quot; 

&quot; Un quoi ?&quot; 

&quot; Un chef-d oeuvre, mademoiselle.&quot; 

&quot; * The manner in which the angel holds the dragon 
with his feet, looking exactly like a worm trodden on by 
the foot of a child, is exquisitely plaintive and interesting. 
Indeed these touches of nature abound in the works of the 
old masters, and I saw several fruit-pieces that I could have 
eaten. One really gets an appetite by looking at many 
things here, and I no longer wonder that a Raphael, a Ti 
tian, a Correggio, a Guide-o. &quot; 

&quot;Un qui?&quot;^ 

&quot; Un Guido, mademoiselle.&quot; 

&quot; Or a Cooley.&quot; 

&quot; And pray who may he be ?&quot; asked Mr. Monday. 

&quot; A young genius in Dodgetown, who promises one day 
to render the name of an American illustrious. He has 
painted a new sign for the store, that in its way is quite 
equal to the marriage of Cana. * I have stood with tears 
over the despair of a Niobe, &quot; continuing to read, &quot; * and 
witnessed the contortions of the snakes in the Laocoon with 
a convulsive eagerness to clutch them, that has made me 
fancy I could hear them hiss.&quot; That sentence, I think, 
will be likely to be noticed even in the New-Old-New- 
Yorker, one of the very best reviews of our days, gentle 
men.&quot; 

&quot; Take a little more punch, Mr. Dodge,&quot; put in the atten 
tive captain; &quot; this grows affecting, and needs alleviation, as 
Saunders would say. Mr. Monday, you will get a bad 
name for being too sober, if you never empty your glass. 
Proceed, in the name of Heaven ! Mr. Dodge.&quot; 

&quot; In the evening I went to the Grand Opery. &quot; 

&quot;Ou, done?&quot; 

&quot; Au grand Hoppery, mademoiselle,&quot; replied John E 
fingham. 

&quot; * To the Grand Opery, 1 &quot; resumed Mr. Dodge, with 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 193 

emphasis, his eyes beginning to glisten by this time, for he 
had often applied to the punch for inspiration, &quot; where I 
listened to music that is altogether inferior to that which 
we enjoy in America, especially at the general trainings, 
and on the Sabbath. The want of science was conspicuous ; 
and if this be music, then do I know nothing about it ! &quot; 

&quot; A judicious remark !&quot; exclaimed the captain. &quot; Mr. 
Dodge has great merit as a writer, for he loses no occasion 
to illustrate his opinions by the most unanswerable facts. 
He has acquired a taste for Zip Coon and Long Tail Blue, 
and it is no wonder he feels a contempt for your inferior 
artists.&quot; 

&quot; As far the dancing, &quot; continued the editor of the Ac 
tive Inquirer, &quot; it is my decided impression that nothing 
can be worse. The movement was more suited to a funeral 
than the ball-room, and I affirm, without fear of contradic 
tion, that there is not an assembly in all America in which 
a cotillion would not be danced in one-half the time that 
one was danced in the bally to-night. &quot; 

&quot; Dans le quoi ?&quot; 

&quot; I believe I have not given the real Parisian pronuncia 
tion to this word, which the French call bal-Zay,&quot; contin 
ued the reader, with great candour. 

&quot; Belay, or make all fast, as we say on ship-board. Mr. 
Dodge, as master of this vessel, I beg to return you the 
united, or as Saunders would say, the condensed thanks of 
the passengers, for this information ; and next Saturday we 
look for a renewal of the pleasure. The ladies are getting 
to be sleepy, I perceive, and as Mr. Monday never drinks 
and the other gentlemen have finished their punch, we may 
as well retire, to get. ready for a hard day s work to-mor 
row.&quot; 

Captain Truck made this proposal, because he saw that 
one or two of the party were plenum punch, and that Eve 
and her companion were becoming aware of the propriety 
of retiring. It was also true that he foresaw the necessity 
of rest, in order to be ready for the exertions of the morn 
ing. 

After the party had broken up, which it did very con 
trary to the wishes of Messrs. Dodge and Monday, Made 
moiselle Viefville passed an hour in the state-room of Miss 
17 


194 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

Effingham, during which time she made several supereio- 
gatory complaints of the manner in which the editor of the 
Active Inquirer had viewed things in Paris, besides asking 
a good many questions concerning his occupation and cha 
racter. 

&quot; I am not quite certain, my dear mademoiselle, that I 
can give you a very learned description of the animal you 
think worthy of all these questions, but, by the aid of Mr. 
John Effingham s information, and a few words that have 
fallen from Mr. Blunt, I believe it ought to be something as 
follows : America once produced a very distinguished phi 
losopher, named Franklin &quot; 

&quot; Comment, ma chere ! Tout le monde le connait !&quot; 

&quot; This Monsieur Franklin commenced life as a prin 
ter ; but living to a great age, and rising to high employ 
ments, he became a philosopher in morals, as his studies 
had made him one in physics. Now, America is full of 
printers, and most of them fancy themselves Franklins, un 
til time and failures teach them discretion.&quot; 

&quot;Mais the world has not seen but un seul Franklin /&quot; 

&quot; Nor is it likely to see another very soon. In America 
-he young men are taught, justly enough, that by merit 
they may rise to the highest situations ; and, always ac 
cording to Mr. John Effingham, too many of them fancy 
that because they are at liberty to turn any high qualities 
they may happen to have to account, they are actually 
fit for anything. Even he allows this peculiarity of the 
country does much good, but he maintains that it also does 
much harm, by causing pretenders to start up in all direc 
tions. Of this class he describes Mr. Dodge to be. This 
person, instead of working at the mechanical part of a 
press, to which he was educated, has the ambition to control 
its intellectual, and thus edits the Active Inquirer.&quot; 

&quot; It must be a very useful journal !&quot; 

&quot; It answers his purposes, most probably. He is full of 
provincial ignorance, and provincial prejudices, you per 
ceive ; and, I dare say, he makes his paper the circulator 
of all these, in addition to the personal rancour, envy, and 
uncharitableness, that usually distinguish a pretension that 
mistakes itself for ambition. My cousin Jack affirms that 
America is filled with such as he.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 195 

&quot; And, Monsieur Effingham ?&quot; 

u Oh ! my dear father is all mildness and chanty, you 
know, mademoiselle, and he only looks at the bright side 
of the picture, for he maintains that a great deal of good 
results from the activity and elasticity of such a state of 
things. While he confesses to a great deal of downright 
ignorance that is paraded as knowledge ; to much narrow 
intolerance that is offensively prominent in the disguise of 
principle, and a love of liberty ; and to vulgarity and per- 
sonalities that wound all taste, and every sentiment of right, 
he insists on it that the main result is good.&quot; 

&quot; In such a case there is need of an umpire. You 
mentioned the opinion of Mr. Blunt. Comme ce jeune homme 
parle bien Frangais !&quot; 

Eve hesitated, and she changed colour slightly, before 
she answered. 

&quot; I am not certain that the opinion of Mr. Blunt ought to 
be mentioned in opposition to those of my father and cousin 
Jack, on such a subject,&quot; she said. &quot; He is very young, and 
it is, now, quite questionable whether he is even an American 
at all.&quot; 

&quot;Tant mieux, ma chere. He has been much in the 
country, and it is not the native that make the best judge, 
when the stranger has many opportunities of seeing.&quot; 

&quot; On this principle, mademoiselle, you are, then, to give 
up your own judgment about France, on all those points in 
which I have the misfortune to differ from you,&quot; said Eve, 
laughing. 

&quot;Pas tout a fait&quot; returned the governess goodhumour- 
edly. &quot; Age and experience must pass pour quelque chose. 
Et Monsieur Blunt ?&quot; 

* Monsieur Blunt leans nearer to the side of cousin Jack, 
I fear, than to that of rny dear, dear father. He says men 
of Mr. Dodge s character, propensities, malignancy, intole 
rance, ignorance, vulgarity, and peculiar vices abound in 
and about the American press. He even insists that they 
do an incalculable amount of harm, by influencing those 
who have no better sources of information ; by setting up 
low jealousies and envy in the place of principles and the 
right ; by substituting I use his own words, mademoiselle,&quot; 
said Eve, blushing with the consciousness of the fidelity of 


196 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

her memory &quot; by substituting uninstructed provincial no 
tions for true taste and liberality ; by confounding the real 
principles of liberty with personal envies, and the jealousies 
of station ; and by losing sight entirely of their duties to 
the public, in the effort to advance their own interests. He 
says that the government is in truth a press-ocracy, and a 
press-ocracy, too, that has not the redeeming merit of either 
principles, tastes, talents or knowledge.&quot; 

&quot; Ce Monsieur Blunt has been very explicit, and suffisam- 
ment eloquent,&quot; returned Mademoiselle Viefvllle, gravely ; 
for the prudent governess did not fail to observe that Eve 
used language so very different from that which was habitual 
to her, as to make her suspect she quoted literally. For the 
first time the suspicion was painfully awakened, that it was 
her duty to be more vigilant in relation to the intercourse 
between her charge and the two agreeable young men whom 
accident had given them as fellow-passengers. After a short 
but musing pause, she again adverted to the subject of their 
previous conversation. 

&quot; Ce Monsieur Dodge, est il ridicule !&quot; 
&quot; On that point at least, my dear mademoiselle, there can 
be no mistake. And yet cousin Jack insists that this stuff 
will be given to his readers, as views of Europe worthy of 
their attention.&quot; 

&quot; Ce conte du roi ! mais, c est trop fort !&quot; 
&quot; With the coat laced at the seams, and the cocked hat !&quot; 
&quot; Et Thonorable Louis Philippe d Orleans !&quot; 
&quot; Orleans, mademoiselle ; d Orleans would be anti-re 
publican.&quot; 

Then the two ladies sat looking at each other a few mo 
ments in silence, when both, although of a proper retenue 
of manner in general, burst into a hearty and long-continued 
fit of laughter. Indeed, so long did Eve, in the buoyancy 
of her young spirits, and her keen perception of the ludi 
crous, indulge herself, that her fair hair fell about her rosy 
cheeks, and her bright eyes fairly danced with delight. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 197 


CHAPTER XVI. 


And there he went ashore without delay, 
Having no custom-house or quarantine, 
To ask him awkward questions on the way 
About the time and place where he had been. 

BY&ON. 


CAPTAIN TRUCK was in a sound sleep as soon as his 
head touched the pillow. With the exception of the ladies, 
the others soon followed his example ; and as the people 
were excessively wearied, and the night was so tranquil, 
ere long only a single pair of eyes were open on deck : those 
of the man at the wheel. The wind died away, and even 
this worthy was not innocent of nodding at his post. 

Under such circumstances, it will occasion no great sur 
prise that the cabin was aroused next morning with the 
sudden and startling information that the land was close 
aboard the ship. Every one hurried on deck, where, sure 
enough, the dreaded coast of Africa was seen, with a pal 
pable distinctness, within two miles of the vessel. It pre 
sented a long broken line of sand-hills, unrelieved by a tree, 
or by so few as almost to merit this description, and with a 
hazy back-ground of remote mountains to the north-east. 
The margin of the actual coast nearest to the ship was in 
dented with bays ; and even rocks appeared in places ; but 
the general character of the scene was that of a fierce and 
burning sterility. On this picture of desolation all stood 
gazing in awe and admiration for some minutes, as the day 
gradually brightened, until a cry arose from forward, of &quot; a 
ship!&quot; 

&quot;Whereaway?&quot; sternly demanded Captain Truck ; for 
the sudden and unexpected appearance of this dangerous 
coast had awakened all that was forbidding and severe in 
the temperament of the old master; &quot; whereaway, sir?&quot; 

&quot; On the larboard quarter, sir, and at anchor.&quot; 

&quot;She is ashore!&quot; exclaimed half-a-dozen voices at the 


198 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

same instant, just as the words came from the last speaker. 
The glass soon settled this important point. At the distance 
of about a league astern of them were, indeed, to be seen 
the spars of a ship, with the hull looming on the sands, in 
a way to leave no doubt of her being a wreck. It was the 
first impression of all, that this, at last, was the Foam ; but 
Captain Truck soon announced the contrary. 

&quot; It is a Swede, or a Dane,&quot; he said, * by his rig and his 
model. A stout, solid, compact sea-boat, that is high and 
dry on the sands, looking as if he had been built there. 
He does not appear even to have bilged, and most of his 
sails, and all of his yards, are in their places. Not a living 
soul is to be seen about her ! Ha ! there are signs of tents 
made of sails on shore, and broken bales of goods ! Her 
people have been seized and carried into the desert, as usual, 
and this is a fearful hint that we must keep the Montauk off 
the bottom. Turn-to the people, Mr. Leach, and get up 
your sheers that we may step our jury-masts at once; the 
smallest breeze on the land would drive us ashore, without 
any after-sail.&quot; 

While the mates and the crew set about completing the 
work they had prepared the previous day, Captain Truck 
and his passengers passed the time in ascertaining all they 
could concerning the wreck, and the reasons of their being 
themselves in a position so very different from what they 
had previously believed. 

As respects the first, little more could be ascertained ; 
she lay absolutely high and dry on a hard sandy beach, 
where she had probably been cast during the late gale, and 
sufficient signs were made out by the captain, to prove to 
him that she had been partly plundered. More than this 
could not be discovered at that distance, and the work of the 
Montauk was too urgent to send a boat manned with her 
own people to examine. Mr. Blunt, Mr. Sharp, Mr. Mon 
day, and the servants of the two former, however, volun 
teering to pull the cutter, it was finally decided to look more 
closely into the facts, Captain Truck himself taking charge 
of the expedition. While the latter is getting ready, a word 
of explanation will suffice to tell the reader the reason why 
the Montauk had fallen so much to leeward. 

The ship being so near the coast, it became now very 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 199 

obvious she was driven by a current that set along the land, 
but which, it was probable, had set towards it more in the 
offing. The imperceptible drift between the observation of 
the previous day and the discovery of the coast, had suf 
ficed to carry the vessel a great distance ; and to this sim 
ple cause, coupled perhaps with some neglect in the steer 
age during the past night, was her present situation to be 
solely attributed. Just at this moment, the little air there 
was came from the land, and by keeping her head off shore, 
Captain Truck entertained no doubt of his being able to 
escape the calamity that had befallen the other ship in the 
fury of the gale. A wreck is always a matter of so much 
interest with mariners, therefore, that taking all these things 
into view, he had come to the determination we have men 
tioned, of examining into the history of the one in sight, so 
far as circumstances permitted. 

The Montauk carried three boats ; the launch, a large, 
safe, and well-constructed craft, which stood in the usual 
chucks between the foremast and mainmast ; a jolly-boat, 
and a cutter. It was next to impossible to get the first into 
the water, deprived as the ship was of its mainmast ; but 
the other hanging at davits, one on each quarter, were easi 
ly lowered. The packets seldom carry any arms beyond 
a light gun to fire signals with, the pistols of the master, 
and perhaps a fowling-piece or two. Luckily the passen 
gers were better provided : all the gentlemen had pistols, 
Mr. Monday and Mr. Dodge excepted, if indeed they pro 
perly belonged to thfe category, as Captain Truck would say, 
and most of them had also fowling-pieces. Although a care 
ful examination of the coast with the glasses offered no si^ns 
of the presence of any danger from enemies, these arms 
were carefully collected, loaded, and deposited in the boats, 
in order to be prepared for the worst. Provisions and water 
were also provided, and the party were about to proceed. 

Captain Truck and one or two of the adventurers were 
still on the deck, when Eve, with that strange lovo of ex 
citement and adventure that often visits the most delicate 
spirits, expressed an idle regret that she could not make one 
is the expedition. 

&quot; There is something so strange and wild in landing on 


200 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

an African desert,&quot; she said ; &quot; and I think a near view 
of the wreck would repay us, Mademoiselle, for the hazard.&quot; 

The young men hesitated between their desire to have 
such a companion, and their doubts of the prudence of the 
step ; but Captain Truck declared there could be no risk, 
and Mr. Effingham consenting, the whole plan was altered 
so as to include the ladies ; for there was so much pleasure 
in varying the monotony of a calm, and escaping the con- 
firiement of ship, that everybody entered into the new ar 
rangement with zeal and spirit. 

A single whip was rigged on the fore-yard, a chair was 
slung, and in ten minutes both ladies were floating on the 
ocean in the cutter. This boat pulled six oars, which were 
manned by the servants of the two Messrs. Effinghams, 
Mr. Blunt, and Mr. Sharp, together with the two latter gen 
tlemen in person. Mr. Effingham steered. Captain Truck 
had the jolly-boat, of which lie pulled an oar himself, aided 
by Saunders, Mr. Monday, and Sir George Templemore ; 
the mates and the regular crew being actively engaged in 
rigging their jury-mast. Mr. Dodge declined being of the 
party, feeding himself with the hope that the present would 
be a favourable occasion to peep into the state-rooms, to run 
his eye over forgotten letters and papers, and otherwise to 
increase the general stock of information of the editor 01&quot; 
the Active Inquirer. 

&quot; Look to your chains, and see all clear for a run of th&amp;lt; 
anchors, Mr. Leach, should you set within a mile of thr 
shore,&quot; called out the captain, as they pulled off from thi 
vessel s side. &quot; The ship is drifting along the land, but th 
wind you have will hardly do more than meet tne send ot 
the sea, which is on shore : should any thing g-o wrong 
show an ensign at the head of the jury-stick forward/ 

The mate waved his hand, and the adventurers pa&oer 
without the sound of the voice. It was a strange sensatior 
to most of those in the boats, to find themselves in then 
present situation. Eve and Mademoiselle Viefville, in par 
ticular, could scarcely credit their senses, when they found 
the egg-shells that held them heaving and setting like bub- 
bles on those long sluggish swells, which had seemed of so 
little consequence while in the ship, but which now resem 
bled the heavy respirations of a leviathan. The boats. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 201 

indeed, though always gliding onward, impelled hy the oars, 
appeared at moments to be sent helplessly back and forth, 
like playthings of the mighty deep, and it was some min 
utes before either obtained a sufficient sense of security 
to enjoy her situation. As they receded fast from the Mon- 
tauk, too, their situation seemed still more critical ; and with 
all her sex s love of excitement, Eve heartily repented of 
her undertaking before they had gone a mile. The gentle 
men, however, were all in good spirits, and as the boats 
kept near each other, Captain Truck enlivening their way 
with his peculiar wit, and Mr. Effingham, who was influ 
enced by a motive of humanity in consenting to come, being 
earnest and interested, Eve soon began to entertain other 
ideas. 

As they drew near the end of their little expedition, en 
tirely new feelings got the mastery of the whole party. The 
solitary and gloomy grandeur of the coasts, the sublime 
sterility, for even naked sands may become sublime by 
their vastness, the heavy meanings of the ocean on the 
beach, and the entire spectacle of the solitude, blended as 
it was with the associations of Africa, time, and the changes 
of history, united to produce sensations of a pleasing mel 
ancholy. The spectacle of the ship, bringing with it the 
images of European civilization, as it lay helpless and de 
serted on the sands, too, heightened all. 

This vessel, beyond a question, had been driven up on a 
sea during the late gale, at a point where the water was of 
sufficient depth to float her, until within a few yards of the 
very spot where she now lay ; Captain Truck giving the 
following probable history of the affair : 

&quot; On all sandy coasts,&quot; he said, &quot; the return waves that 
are cast on the beach form a bar, by washing back with 
them a portion of the particles. This bar is usually within 
thirty or forty fathoms of the shore, and there is frequently 
sufficient water within it to float a ship. As this bar, how 
ever, prevents the return of all the water, on what is called 
the under-tow, narrow channels make from point to point, 
through which this excess of the element escapes. These 
channels are known by the appearance of the water over 
them, the seas breaking less at those particular places than 
in the spots where the bottom lies nearer to the surface, and 


202 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

all experienced mariners are aware of the fact. No doubt, 
the unfortunate master of this ship, finding himself reduced 
to the necessity of running ashore to save the lives of his 
crew, has chosen such a place, and has consequently forced 
his vessel up to a spot where she has remained dry as soon 
as the sea fell. So worthy a fellow deserved a better fate ; 
for this wreck is not three days old, and yet no signs are 
to be seen of any who were in that stout ship.&quot; 

These remarks were made as the crew of the two boats 
lay on their oars, at a short distance without the line on the 
water, where the breaking of the sea pointed out the posi 
tion of the bar. The channel, also, was plainly visible di 
rectly astern of the ship, the sea merely rising and falling 
in it without combing. A short distance to the southward, a 
few bold black rocks thrust themselves forward, and formed 
a sort of bay, in which it was practicable to land without 
risk ; for they had come on the coast in a region where the 
monotony of the sands, as it appeared when close in, was 
little relieved by the presence of anything else. 

&quot; If you will keep the cutter just without the breakers, 
Mr. Effingham,&quot; Captain Truck continued, after standing 
up a while and examining the shore, &quot; I will pull into the 
channel, and land in yonder bay. If you feel disposed to 
follow, you may do so by giving the tiller to Mr. Blunt, on 
receiving a signal to that effect from me. Be steady, gen 
tlemen, at your oars, and look well to the arms on landing, 
for we are in a knavish part of the world. Should any of 
the monkeys or ouran-outangs claim kindred with Mr. 
Sannders, we may find it no easy matter to persuade them 
to leave us the pleasure of his society.&quot; 

The captain made a sign, and the jolly-boat entered the 
channel. Inclining south, it was seen rising and falling just 
within the breakers, and then it was hid by the rocks. In 
another minute, Mr. Truck, followed by all but Mr. Mon 
day, who stood sentinel at the boat, was on the rocks, mak 
ing his way towards the wreck. On reaching the latter, he 
ascended swiftly even to the main cross-trees. Here a long 
examination of the plain, beyond the bank that hid it from 
the view of all beneath, succeeded, and then the signal to 
come on was made to those who were still in the boat. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 203 

&quot; Shall we venture ?&quot; cried Paul Blunt, soliciting an as 
sent by the very manner in which he put the question. 

&quot; What say you, dear father?&quot; 

&quot; I hope we may not yet be too late to succour some 
Christian in distress, my child. Take the tiller, Mr. Blunt, 
and in Heaven s good name, and for humanity s sake, let 
us proceed !&quot; 

The boat advanced, Paul Blunt standing erect to steer, 
his ardour to proceed corrected by apprehensions on ac 
count of her precious freight. There was an instant when 
the ladies trembled, for it seemed as if the light boat was 
about to be cast upon the shore, like the froth of the sea 
that shot past them ; but the steady hand of him who steer 
ed averted the danger, and in another minute they were 
floating at the side of the jolly-boat. The ladies got ashore 
without much difficulty, and stood on the summit of the 
rocks. 

&quot; Nous voici done, en Afrique,&quot; exclaimed Mademoiselle 
Viefville, with that sensation of singularity that comes over 
all when they first find themselves in situations of extraor 
dinary novelty. 

&quot; The wreck the wreck,&quot; murmured Eve ; &quot; let us go 
to the wreck. There may be yet a hope of saving some 
wretched sufferer.&quot; 

Toward the wreck they all proceeded, after leaving two 
of the servants to relieve Mr. Monday on his watch, i 

It was an impressive thing to stand at the side of a ship 
on the sands of Africa, a scene in which the desolation of 
an abandoned vessel was heightened by the desolation of a 
desert. The position of the vessel, which stood nearly 
erect, imbedded in the sands, rendered it less difficult than 
might be supposed for the ladies to ascend to, and to walk 
her decks, a rude staging having been made already to faci 
litate the passage. Here the scene became thrice exciting, 
for it was the very type of a hastily deserted and cherished 
dwelling. 

Before Eve and Mademoiselle Viefville gained the deck, 
the other party had ascertained that no living soul remained. 
The trunks, chests, furniture, and other appliances of the 
cabin, had been rummaged, and many boxes had been 
raised from the hold, and plundered, a part of their contents 


204 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


still lying scattered on the decks. The ship, howerei, had 
been lightly, freighted, and the bulk of r.er cargo, which 
was salt, was apparently untouched. A Danish ensign, was 
found bent to the halyards, a proof that Captain Truck s 
original conjecture concerning the character of the vessel 
was accurate. Her name, too, was ascertained to be the 
Carrier, as translated into English, and she belonged to Co- 
penhagen. More than this it was not easy to ascertain. 
No papers were found, and her cargo, or as much of it as 
remained, was so mixed, and miscellaneous, as Saunders 
called it, that no plausible guess could be given as to the 
port where it had been taken in, if indeed it had all been 
received on board at the same place. 

Several of the light sails had evidently been carried off, 
but all the heavy canvas was left on the yards which re- 
mained in their places. The vessel was large, exceedingly 
strong, as was proved by the fact that she had not bilged in 
beaching, and apparently well found. Nothing was want 
ing to launch her into the ocean but machinery and force, 
and a crew to sail her, when she might have proceeded on 
her voyage as if nothing unusual had occurred. But such 
a restoration was hopeless, and this admirable machine, like 
a man cut off in his youth and vigour, had been cast upon 
the shores of this inhospitable region, to moulder where it 
lay, unless broken up for the wood and iron by the wan- 
derers of the desert. 

There was no object more likely to awaken melancholy 
ideas in a mind resembling that of Captain Truck s, than a 
spectacle of this nature. A fine ship, complete in nearly 
all her parts, virtually uninjured, and yet beyond the chance 
of further usefulness, in his eyes was a picture of the most 
cruel loss. He cared less for the money it had cost than 
for the qualities and properties that were thus destroyed. 

He examined the bottom, which he pronounced capita! 
for stowing, and excellent as that of a sea-boat ; he admired 
the fastenings ; applied his knife to try the quality of the 
wood, and pronounced the Norway pine of the spars to be 
almost equal to anything that could be /bund in our own 
southern woods. The rigging, too, he regarded as one 
loves to linger over the regretted qualities of a deceased 
friend. 


HOMEWARD BOtffrEL 205 

The tracks of camels and horses were abundant on the 
Hands around the ship, and especially at the bottom of the 
rude staging by which the party had ascended, and which 
had evidently been hastily made in order to carry articles 
from the vessel to the backs of the animals that were to 
hear them into the desert. The foot-prints of men were 
also to be seen, and there waa a startling and mournful 
certainty in distinguishing the marks of shoes, as well as 
those of the naked foot. 

Judging from all these signs, Captain Truck was of opi 
nion the wreck must have taken place but two or three days 
before, and that the plunderers had not left the spot many 
hours. 

* They probably went off with what they could carry at 
sunset last evening, and there can be no doubt that before 
many days?, they, or others in their places, will be back 
again. God protect the poor fellows who have fallen into 
this miserable bondage ! What an occasion would there 
now be to rescue one of them, should he happen to be hid 
near this spot !&quot; 

The idea seized the whole party at once, and all eagerly 
turned to examine the high bank, which rose nearly to the 
summit of the masts, in the hope of discovering some con 
cealed fugitive. The gentlemen went below again, and Mr. 
Sharp and Mr. Blunt called out in German, and English, and 
French, to invite any one who might be secreted to come 
forth. No sound answered these friendly calls. Again 
Captain Truck went aloft to look into the interior, but he 
beheld nothing more than the broad and unpeopled desert. 

A place where the camels had descended to the beach 
was at no great distance, and thither most of the party pro 
ceeded, mounting to the level of the plain beyond. In this 
little expedition, Paul Blunt led the advance, and as he rose 
over the brow of the bank, he cocked both barrels of his 
fowling-piece, uncertain what might be encountered. They 
found, however, a silent waste, almost without vegetation, 
and nearly as trackless as the ocean that lay behind them. 
At the distance of a hundred rods, an object was just dis 
cernible, lying on the plain half-buried in sand, and thither 
the young men expressed a wish to go, first calling to those 
in the ship to send a man aloft to give the alarm, in the 
18 


206 


HOMEWARD BOUND 


event of any party of the Mussulmans being seen. Mr- 
Effingham, too, on being told their intention, had the pre 
caution to cause Eve and Mademoiselle Viefville to get into 
the cutter, which he manned, and caused to pull out over 
the bar, where she lay waiting the issue. 

A camel s path, of which the tracks were nearly oblite 
rated by the sands, led to the object ; and after toiling along 
it, the adventurers soon reached the desired spot. It proved 
to be the body of a man who had died by violence. His 
dress and person denoted that of a passenger rather than 
that of a seaman, and he had evidently been dead but a 
very few hours, probably not twelve. The cut of a sabre 
had cleft his skull. Agreeing not to acquaint the ladies 
with this horrible discovery, the body was hastily covered 
with the sand, the pockets of the dead man having been 
first examined ; for, contrary to usage, his person had not 
been stripped. A letter was found, written by a wife to her 
husband, and nothing more. It was in German, and its 
expressions and contents, though simple, were endearing 
and natural. It spoke of the traveller s return ; for she who 
wrote it little thought of the miserable fate that awaited her 
beloved in this remote desert. 

As nothing else was visible, the party returned hastily to 
the beach, where they found that Captain Truck had ended 
his investigation, and was impatient to return. In the in 
terest of the scene the Montauk had disappeared behind a 
headland, towards which she had been drifting when they 
left her. Her absence created a general sense of loneliness, 
and the whole party hastened into the jolly-boat, as if fear 
ful of being left. When without the bar again, the cutter 
took in her proper crew, and the boats pulled away, leaving 
the Dane standing on the beach in his solitary desolation 
a monument of his own disaster. 

As they got further from the land the Montauk came in 
sight again, and Captain Truck announced the agreeable 
intelligence that the jury mainmast was up, and that the 
ship had after-sail set, diminutive and defective as it might 
be. Instead of heading to the southward, however, &quot;as 
heretofore, Mr. Leach was apparently endeavouring to get 
back again to the northward of the headland that had shut 
in the ship, or was trying to retrace his steps. Mr. Truck 


HOMEWARD feOUNtt. 207 


Tightly judged that this was proof his mate disliked the ap 
pearance of the coast astern of him, and that he was anxious 
to get an offing. The captain in consequence urged his 
men to row, and in little more than an hour the whole 
party were on the deck of the Montauk again, and the boats 
were hanging at the davits* 


CHAPTER XVII. 


boarded the king s ship ; now on the beak, 
Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin, 
I flam d amazement 

TEMPEST. 


IP Captain Truck distrusted the situation of his own ship 
when he saw that the mate had changed her course, he liked 
it still less after he was on board, and had an opportunity 
to form a more correct judgment. The current had set the 
vessel not only to the southward, but in-shore, and the send 
of the ground-swell was gradually, but inevitably, heaving 
her in towards the land. At this point the coast was more 
broken than at the spot where the Dane had been wrecked, 
some signs of trees appearing, and rocks running off in 
irregular reefs into the sea. More to the south, these rocks 
were seen without the ship, while directly astern they were 
not half a mile distant. Still the wind was favourable, 
though light and baffling, and Mr. Leach had got up every 
stitch of canvas that circumstances would at all allow ; the 
lead, too, had been tried, and the bottom was found to be a 
hard sand mixed with rocks, and the depth of the water 
such as to admit of anchoring. It was a sign that Captain 
Truck did not absolutely despair after ascertaining all these 
facts, that he caused Mr. Saunders to be summoned ; for 
as yet, none of those who had been in the boats had break 
fasted. 

&quot; Step this way, Mr. Steward,&quot; said the captain ; &quot; and 
report the state of the coppers. You were rummaging, as 


208 HOMEWARD BOUfttt. 

usual, among the lockers of yonder unhappy Dane, and I 
desire to know what discoveries you have made ! You will 
please to recollect, that on all public expeditions of this na 
ture, there must be no peculation or private journal kept. 
Did you see any stock-fish ?&quot; 

&quot; Sir, I should deem this ship disgraced by the admission 
into her pantry of such an article, sir. We have tongues 
and sounds in plenty, Captain Truck, and no gentleman 
that has such diet, need ambition a stock-fish !&quot; 

* I am not quite of your way of thinking ; but the earth 
is not made of stock-fish. Did you happen to fall in with 
any butter ?&quot; 

&quot; Some, sir, that is scarcely fit to slush a mast with, and 
I do think, one of the most atrocious cheeses, sir, it was 
ever my bad fortune to meet with. I do not wonder the 
Africans left the wreck.&quot; 

&quot; You followed their example, of course, Mr. Saunders, 
and left the cheese.&quot; 

&quot; I followed my own judgment, sir, for I would not stay 
in a ship with such a cheese, Captain Truck, sir, even to 
have the honour of serving under so great a commander as 
yourself. I think it no wonder that vessel was wrecked ! 
Even the sharks would abandon her. The very thoughts 
of her impurities, sir, make me feel unsettled in the sto 
mach.&quot; 

The captain nodded his head in approbation of this senti 
ment, called for a coal, and then ordered breakfast. The 
meal was silent, thoughtful, and even sad ; every one was 
thinking of the poor Danes and their sad fate, while they 
who had been on the plain had the additional subject of tho 
murdered man for their contemplation. 

&quot; Is it possible to do nothing to redeem these poor peo 
ple, father, from captivity?&quot; Eve at length demanded. 

&quot; I have been thinking of this, my child ; but I see no 
other method than to acquaint their government of their 
situation.&quot; 

&quot; Might we not contribute something from our own means 
to that effect ? Money, I fancy, is the chief thing neces 
sary.&quot; 

The gentlemen looked at each other in approbation, 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 209 

though a reluctance to be the first to speak kept most of 
them silent. 

&quot; If a hundred pounds, Miss Effingham, will be useful,&quot; 
Sir George Templemore said, after the pause had continued 
an awkward minute, laying a banknote of that amount on 
the table, &quot; and you will honour us by becoming the keeper 
of the redemption money, I have great pleasure in making 
the offer.&quot; 

This was handsomely said, and as Captain Truck after 
wards declared, handsomely done too, though it was a little 
abrupt, and caused Eve to hesitate and redden. 

&quot; I shall accept your gift, sir,&quot; she said ; &quot; and with your 
permission will transfer it to Mr. Effingham, who will better 
know what use to put it to, in order to effect our benevolent 
purpose. I think I can answer for as much more from 
himself.&quot; 

&quot; You may, with certainty, my dear and twice as much, 
if necessary. John, this is a proper occasion for your in 
terference.&quot; 

&quot; Put me down at what you please,&quot; said John Effing 
ham, whose charities in a pecuniary sense were as unlimi 
ted, as in feeling they were apparently restrained. &quot; One 
hundred or one thousand, to rescue that poor crew !&quot; 

&quot; 1 believe, sir, we must all follow so good an example,&quot; 
Mr. Sharp observed ; &quot; and I sincerely hope that this scheme 
will not prove useless. I think it may be effected by means 
of some of the public agents at Mogadore.&quot; 

Mr. Dodge raised many objections, for it really exceeded 
his means to give so largely, and his character was formed 
in a school too envious and jealous to confess an inferiority 
on a point even as worthless as that of money. Indeed, he 
had so long been accustomed to maintain that &quot; one man 
was as good as another,&quot; in opposition to his senses, that, 
like most of those who belong to this impracticable school, 
he had tacitly admitted in his own mind, the general and 
vulgar ascendency of mere wealth ; and, quite as a matter 
of course, he was averse to confessing his own inferiority 
on a point that he ha-d made to be all in all, while loudest 
in declaiming against any inferiority whatever. He walked 
out of the cabin, therefore, with strong heart-burnings and 
18* 


210 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

jealousies, because others had presumed to give that which 
it was not really in his power to bestow. 

On the other hand, both Mademoiselle Viefville and Mr. 
Monday manifested the superiority of the opinions in which 
they had been trained. The first quietly handed a Napo 
leon to Mr. Effingham, who took it with as much attention 
and politeness as he received any of the larger contribu 
tions ; while the latter produced a five-pound note, with a 
hearty good-will that redeemed the sin of many a glass of 
punch in the eyes of his companions. 

Eve did not dare to look towards Paul Blunt, while this 
collection was making ; but she felt regret that he did not 
join in it. He was silent and thoughtful, and even seemed 
pained, and she wondered if it were possible that one, who 
ceitainly lived in a style to prove that his income was large, 
could be so thoughtless as to have deprived himself of the 
means of doing that which he so evidently desired to do. 
but most of the company was too well-bred to permit the 
matter to become the subject of conversation, and they soon 
rose from table in a body. The mind of Eve, however, 
was greatly relieved when her father told her that the young 
man had put a hundred sovereigns in gold into his hands as 
soon as possible, and that he had seconded this offering with 
another, of embarking for Mogadore in person, should they 
get into the Cape de Verds, or the Canaries, with a view 
of carrying out the charitable plan with the least delay. 

&quot; He is a noble-hearted young man,&quot; said the pleased 
father, |s he communicated this fact to his daughter and 
cousin ; &quot; and I shall not object to the plan.&quot; 

&quot; If he offer to quit this ship one minute sooner than is 
necessary, he does, indeed, deserve a statue of gold,&quot; said 
John Effingham ; &quot; for it has all that can attract a young 
man like him, and all too that can awaken his jealousy.&quot; 

&quot;Cousin Jack!&quot; exclaimed Eve reproachfully, quite 
thrown off her guard by the abruptness and plainness of 
this language. 

The quiet smile of Mr. Effingham proved that he under 
stood both, but he made no remark. Eve instantly reco 
vered her spirits, and angry at herself for the girlish excla 
mation that had escaped her, she turned on her assailant. 
&quot; I do not know that I ought to be seen in an aside with 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 211 

Mr. John Effingham,&quot; she said, &quot; even when it is sanc 
tioned with the presence of my own father.&quot; 

&quot; And may I ask why so much sudden reserve, my 
offended beauty ?&quot; 

&quot; Merely that the report is already active, concerning the 
delicate relation in which we stand towards each other.&quot; 

John Effingham looked surprised, but he suppressed his 
curiosity from a long habit of affecting an indifference he 
did not always feel. The father was less dignified, for he 
quietly demanded an explanation. 

&quot; It would seem,&quot; returned Eve, assuming a solemnity 
suited to a matter of interest, &quot; that our secret is discovered. 
While we were indulging our curiosity about this unfortu 
nate ship, Mr. Dodge was gratifying the laudable industry 
of the Active Inquirer, by prying into our state-rooms.&quot; 

&quot; This meanness is impossible !&quot; exclaimed Mr. Effing 
ham. 

&quot; Nay,&quot; said John, &quot; no meanness is impossible to a 
demagogue, a pretender to things of which he has even 
no just conception, a man who lives to envy and traduce ; 
in a word, a quasi gentleman. Let us hear what Eve has 
to say.&quot; 

&quot; My information is from Ann Sidley, who saw him in 
the act. Now the kind letter you wrote my father, cousin 
Jack, just before we left London, and which you wrote be 
cause you would not trust that honest tongue of yours to 
speak the feelings of that honest heart, is the subject of my 
daily study ; not on account of its promises, you will be 
lieve me, but on account of the strong affection it displays 
to a girl who is not worthy of one half you feel and do for 
her.&quot; 

&quot; Pshaw !&quot; 

&quot; Well, let it then be pshaw ! I had read that letter this 
very morning, and carelessly left it on my table. This let 
ter Mr. Dodge, in his undying desire to lay everything be 
fore the public, as becomes his high vocation, and as in 
duty bound, has read ; and misconstruing some of the 
phrases, as will sometimes happen to a zealous circulator 
of news, he has drawn the conclusion that I am to be 
made a happy woman as soon as we reach America, by 


212 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

being converted from Miss Eve Effingham into Mrs. John 
Effingham.&quot; 

&quot; Impossible ! No man can be such a fool, or quite so 
great a miscreant !&quot; 

&quot; I should rather think, my child,&quot; added the milder 
father, &quot; that injustice has been done Mr. Dodge. No per- 
son, in the least approximating to the station of a gentle 
man, could even think of an act so base as this you men 
tion.&quot; 

&quot; Oh ! if this be all your objection to the tale,&quot; observed 
the cousin, &quot; I am ready to swear to its truth. But Eve has 
caught a little of Captain Truck s spirit of mystifying, and 
is determined to make a character by a bold stroke in the 
beginning. Slie is clever, and in time may rise to be a 
quiz.&quot; 

&quot; Thank you for the compliment, cousin Jack, which, 
however, I am forced to disclaim, as I never was more se- 
rious in my life. That the letter was read, Nanny, who is 
truth itself, affirms she saw. That Mr. Dodge has since 
been industriously circulating the report of my great good 
fortune, she has heard from the mate, who had it from the 
highest source of information direct, and that such a man 
would be likely to come to such a conclusion, you have 
only^to recall the terms of the letter yourself, to believe.&quot; 

&quot; There is nothing in my letter to justify any notion so 

&quot; An Active Inquirer might make discoveries you little 
dream of, dear cousin Jack. You speak of its being time 
to cease roving, of settling yourself at last, of never part 
ing, and. prodigal as you are, of making Eve the future 
mistress of your fortune. Now to all this, recreant, con 
fess, or I shall never again put faith in man.&quot; 

John Effingham made no answer, but the father warmly 
expressed his indignation, that any man of the smallest pre 
tensions to be admitted among gentlemen, should be guilty 
of an act so base. 

&quot; We can hardly tolerate his presence. John, and it is 
almost a matter of conscience to send him to Coventry.&quot; 

&quot; If you entertain such notions of&quot; decorum, your wisest 
way, Edward, will be to return to the place whence you 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 213 

have come ; for, trust me, you will find scores of such gen* 
tlemen where you are going !&quot; 

&quot; I shall not allow you to persuade me I know my own 
country so little. Conduct like this will stamp a man with 
disgrace in America as well as elsewhere.&quot; 

&quot; Conduct like this would, but it will no longer. The 
pell-mell that rages has brought honourable men into a sad 
minority, and even Mr. Dodge will tell you the majority 
must rule. Were he to publish my letter, a large portion 
of his readers would fancy he was merely asserting the 
liberty of the press. Heavens save us ! You have been 
dreaming abroad, Ned Effingham, while your country has 
retrograded, in all that is respectable and good, a century 
in a dozen years !&quot; 

As this was the usual language of John Effingham, neither 
of his listeners thought much of it, though Mr. Effingham 
more decidedly expressed an intention to cut off even the 
slight communication with the offender, he had permitted 
himself to keep up, since they had been on board. 

&quot; Think better of it, dear father,&quot; said Eve ; &quot; for such 
a man is scarcely worthy of even your resentment. He is 
too much your inferior in principles, manners, character, 
station, and everything else, to render him of so much 
account ; and then, were we to clear up this masquerade 
into which the chances of a ship have thrown us, we might 
have our scruples concerning others, as well as concerning 
this wolf in sheep s clothing.&quot; 

&quot; Say rather an ass, shaved and painted to resemble a 
zebra,&quot; muttered John. &quot; The fellow has no property as 
respectable as the basest virtue of a wolf.&quot; 

&quot; He has at least rapacity.&quot; 

&quot;And can howl in a pack. This much, then, I will 
concede to you : but I agree with Eve, we must either punish 
him affirmatively, by pulling his ears, or treat him with 
contempt, which is always negative or silent. I wish he 
had entered the state-room of that fine young fellow, Paul 
Blunt, w r ho is of an age and a spirit to give him a lesson 
that might make a paragraph for his Active Inquirer, if not 
a scissors extract of himself.&quot; 

Eve knew that the offender had been there too, but she 
had too much prudence to betray him. 


214 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; This will only so much the more oblige him,&quot; she said, 
laughingly ; &quot; for Mr. Blunt, in speaking of the editor of 
the Active Inquirer, said that he had the failing to believe 
that this earth, and all it contained, was created merely to 
furnish materials for newspaper paragraphs.&quot; 

The gentlemen laughed with the amused Eve, and Mr. 
Effingham remarked, that &quot; there did seem to be men so 
perfectly selfish, so much devoted to their own interests, 
and so little sensible of the rights and feelings of others, as 
to manifest a desire to render the press superior to all other 
power ; not,&quot; he concluded, &quot; in, the way of argument, or 
as an agent of reason, but as a master, coarse, corrupt, 
tyrannical and vile ; the instrument of selfishness, instead 
of the right, and when not employed as the promoter of 
personal interests, to be employed as the tool of personal 
passions.&quot; 

&quot; Your father will become a convert to my opinions, Miss 
Effingham,&quot; said John, &quot; and he will not be home a twelve 
month before he will make the discovery that the government 
is a press-ocracy, and its ministers, self-chosen and usurpers, 
composed of those who have the least at stake, even as to 
character.&quot; 

Mr. Effingham shook his head in dissent, but the con 
versation changed in consequence of a stir in the ship. 
The air from the land had freshened, and even the heavy 
canvas on which the Montauk was now compelled prin 
cipally to rely, had been asleep, as mariners term it, or had 
blown out from the mast, where it stood inflated and steady, 
a proof at sea, where the water is always in motion, that 
the breeze is getting to be fresh. Aided by this power, the 
ship had overcome the united action of the heavy ground- 
swell and of the current, and was stealing out from under 
the land, when the air murmured for an instant, as if about 
to blow still fresher, and then all the sails flapped. The 
wind had passed away like a bird, and a dark line to sea 
ward, denoted the approach of the breeze from the ocean. 
The stir in the vessel was occasioned by the preparations to 
meet this change. 

The new wind brought little with it beyond the general 
danger of blowing on shore. The breeze was light, and 
not more than sufficient to force the vessel through the wa- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 215 

ter, in her present condition, a mile and a half in the hour, 
and this too in a line nearly parallel with the coast. Cap 
tain Truck saw therefore at a glance, that he should be 
compelled to anchor. Previously, however, to doing this, 
he had a long talk with his mates, and a boat was lowered. 

The lead was cast, and the bottom was found to be still 
good, though a hard sand, which is not the best holding 
ground. 

&quot; A heavy sea would c^use the ship to drag,&quot; Captain 
Truck remarked, &quot; should it come on to blow, and the lines 
of dark rocks astern of them would make chips of the 
Pennsylvania in an hour, were that great ship to lie on it.&quot; 

He entered the boat, and pulled along the reefs to exam 
ine an inlet that Mr. Leach reported to have been seen, be 
fore he got the ship s head to the northward. Could an en 
trance be found at this point, the vessel might possibly be 
carried within the reef, and a favourite scheme of the cap 
tain s could be put in force, one to which he now attached 
the highest importance. A mile brought the boat up to the 
inlet, where Mr. Truck found the following appearances : 
The general formation of the coast in sight was that of a 
slight curvature, within which the ship had so far drifted 
as to be materially inside a line drawn from headland to 
headland. There was, consequently, little hope of urging 
a vessel, crippled like the Montauk, against wind, sea and 
current, out again into the ocean. For about a league 
abreast of the ship the coast was rocky, though low, the 
rocks running off from the shore quite a mile in places, and 
every where fully half that distance. The formation was 
irregular, but it had the general character of a reef, the 
position of which was marked by breakers, as well as by 
the black heads of rocks that here and there showed them 
selves above the water. The inlet was narrow, crooked, 
and so far environed by rocks as to render it questiona 
ble whether there was a passage at all, though the smooth 
ness of the water had raised^ hopes to that effect in Mr. 
Leach. 

As soon as captain Truck arrived at the mouth of this 
passage, he felt so much encouraged by the appearance of 
things that he gave the concerted signal for the ship to veer 
round and to stand to the southward. This was losing 


216 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

ground in the way of offing, but tack the Montauk could 
not with so little, wind, and the captain saw by the drift she 
had made since he left her, that promptitude was necessary 
The ship might anchor off the inlet, as well as anywhere 
else, if reduced to anchoring outside at all, and then there 
was always the chance of entering. 

As soon as the ship s head was again to the southward, 
and Captain Truck felt certain that she was lying along the 
reef at a reasonably safe distance, and in as good a direc 
tion as he could hope for, he commenced his examination. 
Like a discreet seaman he pulled off from the rocks to a 
suitable distance, for should an obstacle occur outside, he 
well knew any depth of water further in would be useless. 
The day was so fine, and in the absence of rivers, the ocean 
so limpid in that low latitude, that it was easy to see the bot 
tom at a considerable depth. But to this sense, of course, 
the captain did not trust, for he kept the lead going con 
stantly, although all eyes were also employed in searching 
for rocks. 

The first cast of the lead was in five fathoms, and these 
soundings were held nearly up to the inlet, where the lead 
struck a rock in three fathoms and a half. At this point, 
then, a more careful examination was made, but three and 
a half was the shallowest cast. As the Montauk drew 
nearly a fathom less than this, the cautious old master pro 
ceeded closer in. Directly in the mouth of the inlet was a 
large flat rock, that rose nearly to the surface of the sea, 
and which, when the tide was low, was probably bare. 
This rock Captain Truck at first believed would defeat his 
hopes of success, which by this time were strong ; but a 
closer examination showed him that on one side of it was a 
narrow passage, just wide enough to admit a ship. 

From this spot the channel became crooked, but it was 
sufficiently marked by the ripple on the reef; and after a 
careful investigation, he found it was possible to carry three 
fathoms quite within the reef, where a large space existed 
that was gradually filling up with sand, but which was 
nearly all covered with water when the tide was in, as was 
now the case, and which had channels, as usual, between 
the banks. Following one of these channels a quarter of 
a mile, he found a basin of four fathoms of water, large 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 217 

enough to take a ship in, and, fortunately, it was in close 
proximity to a portion of the reef that was always bare, 
when a heavy sea was not beating over it. Here he drop 
ped a buoy, for he had come provided with several frag- 
ments of spars for this purpose ; and, on his return, the 
channel was similarly marked off, at all the critical points. 
On the flat rock, in the inlet, one of the men was left, stand 
ing up to his waist in the water, it being certain that the 
tide was falling. 

The boat now returned to the ship, which it met at the 
distance of half a rnile from the inlet. The current setting 
southwardly, her progress had been more rapid than when 
heading north, and her drift had been less towards the land. 
Still there was so little wind, so steady a ground-swell, and 
it was possible to carry so little after-sail, that great doubts 
were entertained of being able to weather the rocks suffi 
ciently to turn into the inlet. Twenty times in the next 
half hour was the order to let go the anchor, on the point 
of being given, as the wind baffled, and as often was it 
countermanded, to take advantage of its reviving. These 
were feverish moments, for the ship was now so near the 
reef as to render her situation very insecure in the event of 
the wind s rising, or of a sea s getting up, the sand of the 
bottom being too hard to make good holding-ground. Still, 
as there was a possibility, in the present state of the wea 
ther, of kedging the ship off a mile into the offing, if ne 
cessary, Captain Truck stood on with a boldness he might 
not otherwise have felt. The anchor hung suspended by a 
single turn of the stopper, ready to drop at a signal, and 
Mr. Truck stood between the knight-heads, watching the 
slow progress of the vessel, and accurately noticing every 
foot of leeward set she made, as compared with the rocks. 

All this time the poor fellow stood in the water, awaiting 
the arrival of his friends, who, in their turn, were anxiously 
watching his features, as they gradually grew more distinct. 

&quot; I see his eyes,&quot; cried the captain cheerily ; &quot; take a 
drag at the bowlines, and let her head up as much as she 
will, Mr. Leach, and never mind those sham topsails. 
Take them in at once, sir ; they do us, now, more harm 
than good.&quot; 

The clewline blocks rattled, and the top-gallant sails, 
19 


218 HOMEWARD BOUffD 

which were made to do the duty of top-sails, but which 
would hardly spread to the lower yards, so as to set on a 
wind, came rapidly in. Five minutes of intense doubt fol 
lowed, when the captain gave the animating order to 

&quot; Man the main-clew garnets, boys, and stand by to 
make a run of it !&quot; 

This was understood to be a sign that the ship was far 
enough to windward, and the command to &quot; in main-sail,&quot; 
which soon succeeded, was received with a shout. 

&quot; Hard up with the helm, and stand by to lay the fore- 
yard square,&quot; cried Captain Truck, rubbing his hands. 
&quot; Look that both bowers are clear for a run ; and you, 
Toast, bring me the brightest coal in the galley.&quot; 

The movements of the Montauk were necessarily slow ; 
but she obeyed her helm, and fell off until her bows pointed 
in towards the sailor in the water. This fine fellow, the 
moment he saw the ship approaching, waded to the verge 
of the rock, where it went off perpendicularly to the bot 
tom, and waved to them to come on without fear. 

&quot; Come within ten feet of me,&quot; he shouted. &quot; There is 
nothing to spare on the other side.&quot; 

As the captain was prepared for this, the ship was steered 
accordingly, and as she hove slowly past on the rising and 
falling water, a rope was thrown to the man, who was 
hauled on board. 

&quot; Port !&quot; cried the captain, as soon as the rock was 
passed ; &quot; port your helm, sir, and stand for the first buoy.&quot; 

In this manner the Montauk drove slowly but steadily 
on, until she had reached the basin, where one anchor was 
let go almost as soon as she entered. The chain was paid 
out until the vessel was forced over to some distance, and 
then the other bower was dropped. The fore-sail was 
hauled up and handed, and chain was given the ship, which 
was pronounced to be securely moored. 

Now,&quot; cried the captain, all his anxiety ceasing with 
the responsibility, &quot; I expect to be made a member of the 
New- York Philosophical Society at least, which is learned 
company for a man who has never been at college, for dis 
covering a port on the coast of Africa, which harbour, la 
dies and gentlemen, without too much vanity, I hope to be 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 219 

permitted to call Port Truck. If Mr. Dodge, however, 
should think this too anti-repuhlican, we will compromise 
the matter by calling it Port Truck and Dodge ; or the 
town that no doubt will sooner or later arise on its banks, 
may be called Dodgeborough, and I will keep the harbour 
to myself.&quot; 

&quot; Should Mr. Dodge consent to this arrangement, he will 
render himself liable to the charge of aristocracy,&quot; said 
Mr. Sharp ; for as all felt relieved by finding themselves in a 
place of security, so all felt disposed to join in the pleasantry. 
&quot; I dare say his modesty would prevent his consenting to 
the plan.&quot; 

&quot; Why, gentlemen,&quot; returned %e subject of these re- 
marks, &quot; I do not know that we are to refuse honours that 
are fairly imposed on us by the popular voice ; and the 
practice of naming towns and counties after distinguished 
citizens, is by no means uncommon with us. A few of my 
own neighbours have been disposed to honour me in this 
way already, and my paper is issued from a hamlet that 
certainly does bear my own unworthy name. So you per 
ceive there will be no novelty in the appellation.&quot; 

&quot; I would have made oath to it,&quot; cried the captain, &quot; from 
your well-established humility. Is the place as large as 
London ?&quot; 

&quot; It can boast of little more than my own office, a tavern, 
a store, and a blacksmith s shop, captain, as yet ; but Rome 
was not built in a day.&quot; 

&quot;Your neighbours, sir, must be people of extraordinary 
discernment ; but the name ?&quot; 

&quot; That is not absolutely decided. At first it was called 
Dodgetown, but this did not last long, being thought vulgar 
and common-place. Six or eight weeks afterwards we &quot; 

&quot; We, Mr. Dodge !&quot; 

&quot; 1 mean the people, sir, I am so much accustomed to 
connect myself with the people, that whatever they do, I 
think I had a hand in.&quot; 

&quot; And very properly, sir,&quot; observed John Effingham 
&quot;as probably without you, there would have been no people 
at all.&quot; 

&quot;What may be the population of Dodgetown, sir?&quot; 
asked the persevering captain, on this hint. 


220 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; At the census of January, it was seventeen ; but by the 
census of March, there were eighteen. I have made a cal 
culation that shows, if we go on at this rate, or by arith 
metical progression, it will be a hundred in about ten years, 
which will be a very respectable population for a country 
place. I beg pardon, sir, the people six or eight weeks 
afterwards, altered the name to Dodgeborough ; but a new 
family coming in that summer, a party was got up to change 
it to Dodge-ville, a name that was immensely popular, as 
ville means city in Latin ; but it must be owned the people 
like change, or rotation in names, as well as in office, and 
they called the place Butterfield Hollow, for a whole month, 
after the new inhabitant, whose name is Butterfield. He 
moved away in the fall ; and so, after trying Belindy, 
(Anglice Belinda,) Nineveh, Grand Cairo, and Pumpkin 
Valley, they made me the offer to restore the ancient name, 
provided some addendum more noble and proper could be 
found than town, or ville, or borough ; it is not yet deter 
mined what it shall be, but I believe we shall finally settle 
down in Dodgeople, or Dodgeopolis.&quot; 

&quot; For the season ; and a very good name it will prove 
for a short cruise, I make no question. The Butterfield 
Hollow was a little like rotation in office, in truth, sir.&quot; 

&quot; I did n t like it, captain, so I gave Squire Butterfield to 
understand, privately ; for as he had a majority with him, 
I didn t approve of speaking too strongly on the subject. 
As soon as I got him out of the tavern, however, the cur 
rent set the other way.&quot; 

&quot; You fairly uncorked him !&quot; 

&quot; That I did, and no one ever heard of him, or of his 
hollow, after his retreat. There are a few discontented and 
arrogant innovators, who affect to call the place by its old 
name of Morton ; but these are the mere vassals of a man 
who once owned the patent, and who has now b^en dead 
these forty years. We are not the people to keep his old 
musty name, or to honour dry bones.&quot; 

&quot; Served him right, sir, and like men of spirit ! If he 
wants a place called after himself, let him live, like other 
people. A dead man has no occasion for a name, and 
there should be a law passed, that when a man slips his 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 

cables, ho should bequeath his name to some honest fellow 
who has a worse one. It might be well to compel all great 
men in particular, to leave their renown to those who can 
not, get any for themselves.&quot; 

&quot; I will venture to suggest an improvement on the name, 
if Mr. Dodge will permit me,&quot; said Mr. Sharp, who had 
been an amused listener to the short dialogue. &quot; Dodgeople 
is a little short, and may be offensive by its brusquerie. By 
inserting a single letter, it will become Dodge-people ; or, 
there is the alternative of Dodge-adrianople, which will be 
a truly sonorous and republican title. Adrian was an em 
peror, and even Mr. Dodge might not disdain the conjunc 
tion.&quot; 

By this time, the editor of the Active Inquirer began to 
be extremely elevated for this was assailing him on his 
weakest side and he laughed and rubbed his hands as if 
he thought the joke particularly pleasant. This person had 
also a peculiarity of judgment that was singularly in oppo 
sition to all his open professions, a peculiarity, however, 
that belongs rather to his class than to the individual mem 
ber of it. Ultra as a democrat and an American, Mr. Dodge 
had a sneaking predilection in favour of foreign opinions. 
Although practice had made him intimately acquainted with 
all the frauds, deceptions, and vileness of the ordinary arts 
of paragraph-making, he never failed to believe religiously 
in the veracity, judgment, good faith, honesty and talents 
of anything that was imported in the form of types. He 
had been weekly, for years, accusing his nearest brother of 
the craft, of lying, and he could not be altogether ignorant 
of his own propensity in the same way ; but, notwithstand 
ing all this experience in the secrets of the trade, whatever 
reached him from a European journal, he implicitely swal 
lowed whole. One, who knew little of the man, might have 
supposed he feigned credulity to answer his own purposes ; 
but this would be doing injustice to his faith, which was 
perfect, being based on that provincial admiration, and pro 
vincial ignorance, that caused the countryman, who went to 
London for the first time, to express his astonishment at 
finding the king a man. As was due to his colonial origin, 
his secret awe and reverence for an Englishman was exactly 
19* 


222 HOMEWARD BOUND, 

in proportion to his protestations of love for the people, and 
his deference for rank was graduated on a scale suited to 
the heart-burning and jealousies he entertained for all whom 
he felt to be his superiors. Indeed, one was the cause of 
t he other ; for they who really are indifferent to their own 
social position, are usually equally indifferent to that of 
others, so long as they are not made to feel the difference 
by direct assumptions of superiority. 

When Mr. Sharp, whom even Mr. Dodge had discovered 
to be a gentleman, and an English gentleman of course, 
entered into the trifling of the moment, therefore, so far 
from detecting the mystification, the latter was disposed to 
believe himself a subject of interest with this person, against 
whose exclusiveness and haughty reserve, notwithstanding, 
he had been making side-hits ever since the ship had sailed. 
But the avidity with which the Americans of Mr. Dodge s 
temperament are apt to swallow the crumbs of flattery that 
fall from the Englishman s table, is matter of history, and 
the editor himself was never so happy as when he could lay 
hold of a paragraph to republish, in which a few words of 
comfort were doled out by the condescending mother to the 
never-dying faith of the daughter. So far, therefore, from 
taking umbrage at what had been said, he continued the 
subject long after the captain had gone to his duty, and with 
so much perseverance that Paul Blunt, us soon as Mr. Sharp 
escaped, took an occasion to compliment that gentleman on 
his growing intimacy with the refined and single-minded 
champion of the people. The other admitted his indiscre 
tion ; and if the affair had no other consequences, it afford 
ed these two fine young men a moment s merriment, at a 
time when anxiety had been fast getting the ascendency 
over their more cheerful feelings. When they endeavoured 
to make Miss Effingham share in the amusement, however, 
that young lady heard them with gravity ; for the meanness 
of the act discovered by Nanny Sidley, had indisposed her 
to treat the subject of their comments with the familiarity 
of even ridicule. Perceiving this, though unable to account 
for it, the gentlemen changed the discourse, and soon be- 
came sufficiently grave by contemplating their own condi 
tion. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 223 

The situation of the Montauk was now certainly one to 
excite uneasiness in those who were little acquainted with 
the sea, as well as in those who were. It was very much 
like that for which Miss Effingham s nurse had pined, hav 
ing many rocks and sands in sight, with the land at no 
great distance. In order that the reader may understand it 
more clearly, we shall describe it with greater minuteness. 

To the westward of the ship lay the ocean, broad, smooth, 
glittering, but, heaving and setting, with its eternal breath 
ings, which always resemble the respiration of some huge 
monster. Between the vessel and this waste of water, and 
within three hundred feet of the first, stretched an irregular 
line of ripple, dotted here and there with the heads of low 
naked rocks, marking the presence and direction of the reef. 

This was all that would interpose between the basin and 
the raging billows, should another storm occur ; but Cap 
tain Truck thought this would suffice so far to break the 
waves as to render the anchorage sufficiently secure. 
Astern of the ship, however, a rounded ridge of sand began 
to appear as the tide fell, within forty fathoms of the vessel, 
and as the bottom was hard, and difficult to get an anchor 
into it, there was the risk of dragging on this bank. We 
say that the bottom was hard, for the reader should know 
that it is not the weight of the anchor that secures the ship, 
but the hold its pointed fluke and broad palm get of the 
ground. The coast itself was distant less than a mile, and 
the entire basin within the reef was fast presenting spits of 
sand, as the water fell on the ebb. Still there were many 
channels, and it would have been possible, for one who 
knew their windings, to have sailed a ship several leagues 
among them, without passing the inlet; these channels 
forming a sort of intricate net- work, in every direction from 
the vessel. 

When Captain Truck had coolly studied all the peculiari 
ties of his position, he set about the duty of securing his 
ship, in good earnest. The two light boats were brought 
under the bows, and the stream anchor was lowered, and 
fastened to a spar that lay across both. This anchor was 
carried to the bank astern, and, by dint of sheer strength, 
it was laid over its summit with a fluke buried to the shank 


224 HOMEWARD BOUJTD. 

m the hard sand. By means of a hawser, and a purchase 
applied to its end, the men on the banks next roused the 
chain out, and shackled it to the ring. The bight was hove- 
in, and the ship secured astern, so as to prevent a shift of 
wind, off the land, from forcing her on the reef. As no 
sea could come from this quarter, the single anchor and 
chain were deemed sufficient for this purpose. As soon as 
the boats were at liberty, and before the chain had been got 
ashore, two kedges were carried to the reef, and laid among 
the rocks, in such a way that their flukes and stocks equally 
got hold of the projections. To these kedges lighter chains 
were secured ; and when all the bights were hove-in, to as 
equal a strain as possible, Captain Truck pronounced his 
ship in readiness to ride out any gale that would be likely 
to blow. So far as the winds and waves might affect her, 
the Montauk was, in truth, reasonably safe ; for on the side 
where danger was most to be apprehended, she had two 
bowers down, and four parts of smaller chain were attached 
to the two kedges. Nor had Captain Truck fallen into the 
common error of supposing he had so much additional 
strength in his fastenings, by simply running the chains 
through the rings, but he had caused each to be separately 
fastened, both in-board and to the kedges, by which means 
each length of the chain formed a distinct and independent 
fastening of itself. 

So absolute is the sovereignty of a ship, that no one had 
presumed to question the master as to his motives for all 
this extraordinary precaution, though it was the common 
impression that he intended to remain where they were until 
the wind became favourable, or at least, until all danger of 
being thrown upon the coast, from the currents and the 
ground-swell, should have ceased. Paul Blunt observed, 
that he fancied it was the intention to take advantage of the 
smooth water within the reef, to get up a better and a more 
efficient set of jury-masts. But Captain Truck soon re- 
moved all doubts by letting the truth be known. While on 
board the Danish wreck, he had critically examined her 
spars, sails, and rigging, and, though adapted for a ship two 
hundred tons smaller than the Montauk, he was of opinion 
they might be fitted to the latter vessel, and made to answer 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 225 

all the necessary purposes for crossing the ocean, provided 
the Mussulmans and the weather would permit the transfer. 
&quot; We have smooth water and light airs,&quot; he said, when 
concluding his explanation, &quot;and the current sets south 
wardly along this coast ; by means of all our force, hard 
working, a kind Providence, and our own enterprise, I hop* 
yet to see the Montauk enter the port of New York, with 
royals set, and ready to carry sail on a wind. The sea 
man who cannot rig his ship with sticks and ropes and 
blocks enough, might as well stay ashore, Mr. Dodge, and 
publish an hebdomadal. And so, my dear young lady, by 
looking along the land, the day after to-morrow, in the 
northern board here, you may expect to see a raft booming 
down upon you that will cheer your heart, and once more 
raise the hope of a Christmas dinner in New York, in all 
lovers of good fare.&quot; 


226 HOMEWARD BOUND. 


CHAPTER XVHL 


Here, in the sands, 
TLee I ll rake uj&amp;gt; 

Lear 


His mind made up, his intentions announced, and his ship 
in readiness, Captain Truck gave his orders to proceed with 
promptitude and clearness. The ladies remaining behind, 
he observed that the two Messrs. Effingham, as a matter of 
course, would stay with them as protectors, though little 
could harm them where they were. 

&quot; I propose to leave the ship in the care of Mr. Blunt,&quot; he 
said, &quot; for I perceive something about that gentleman which 
denotes a nautical instinct. If Mr. Sharp choose to remain 
also, your society will be the more agreeable, and in ex 
change, gentlemen, I ask the favour of the strong arms of all 
your servants. Mr. Monday is my man in fair or foul, and 
so, I flatter myself, will be Sir George Templemore ; and as 
for Mr. Dodge, if he stay behind, why the Active Inquire! 
will miss a notable paragraph, for there shall be no historian 
to the expedition, but one of my own appointing. Mr. Saun 
ders shall have the honour of cooking for you in the mean 
while, and I propose taking every one else to the Dane.&quot; 

As no serious objections could be made to this arrange 
ment, within an hour of the time when the ship was fastened, 
the cutter and jolly-boat departed, it being the intention of 
Captain Truck to reach the wreck that evening, in season to 
have his sheers ready to raise by daylight in the morning; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


227 


for he hoped to be back again in the course of the succeed- 
ing day. No time was to be lost, he knew, the return of the 
Arabs being hourly expected, and the tranquillity of the open 
sea being at all times a matter of the greatest uncertainty. 
With the declared view of making quick work, and with the 
secret apprehension of a struggle with the owners of the 
country, the captain took with him every officer and man in 
his ship that could possibly be spared, and as many of the 
passengers as he thought might be useful. As numbers might 
be important in the way of intimidation, he cared almost as 
much for appearances as for any thing else, or certainly he 
would not have deemed the presence of Mr. Dodge of any 
great moment ; for to own the truth, he expected the editor 
of the Active Inquirer would prove the quality implied by 
the first word of the title of his journal, as much ir&amp;gt; any 
other way as in fighting. 

Neither provisions nor water, beyond what might be 
necessary in pulling to the wreck, nor ropes, nor blocks, nor 
any thing but arms and ammunition, were taken in the 
boats ; for the examination of the morning had shown the 
captain, that, notwithstanding so much had been plundered, 
a sufficiency still remained in the stranded vessel. Indeed, 
the fact that so much had been left was one of his reasons 
for hastening off himself, as he deemed it certain that they 
who had taken away what was gone, would soon return for 
the remainder. The fowling-pieces and pistols, with all the 
powder and ball in the ship, were taken : a light gun that 
was on board, for. the purpose of awaking sleepy pilots, being 
left loaded, with the intention of serving for a signal of 
alarm, should any material change occur in the situation of 
the ship. 

The party included thirty men, and as most had fire-arms 
of one sort or another, they pulled out of the inlet with spirit 
and great confidence in their eventual success. The boats 
were crowded, it is true, but there was room to row, and the 
launch had been left in its place on deck, because it was 
known that two boats were to be found in the wreck, one of 
which was large : in short, as Captain Truck had meditated 
this expedient from the moment he ascertained the situation 
of the Dane, he now set about carrying it into effect with 
method and discrimination. We shall first accompany him 


228 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

on his way, leaving the small party in the Montauk for uu/ 
future attention in another chapter. 

The distance between the two vessels was about four 
leagues, and a headland intervening, those in the boats in 
less than an hour lost sight of their own ship, as she lay- 
shorn of her pride anchored within the reef. At almost the 
same moment, the wreck came into view, and Captain Truck 
applied his glass with great interest, in order to ascertain the 
state of things in that direction. All was tranquil no signs 
of any one having visited the spot since morning being visi 
ble. This intelligence was given to the people, who pulled 
at their oars the more willingly under the stimulus of pro 
bable success, driving the boats ahead with increasing velocity. 

The sun was still some distance above the horizon, when 
the cutter and jolly-boat rowed through the narrow channel 
astern of the wreck, and brought up, as before, by the side 
of the rocks. Leaping ashore, Captain Truck led the way 
to the vessel, and, in five minutes, he was seen in the forward 
cross-trees, examining the plain with his glass. All was as 
solitary and deserted as when before seen, and the order was 
immediately given to commence operations without delay. 

A gang of the best seamen got out the spare topmast and 
lower-yard of the Dane, and set about fitting a pair of sheers, 
a job that would be likely to occupy them several hours. 
Mr. Leach led a party up forward, and the second mate went 
up with another further aft, each proceeding to send down 
its respective top-gallant-mast, top-sail-yard, and top-mast; 
while Captain Truck, from the deck, superintended the same 
work on the mizen-mast. As the men worked with spirit, 
and a strong party remained below to give the drags, and to 
come up the lanyard-s, spar came down after spar with 
rapidity, and just as the sun dipped into the ocean to the 
westward, everything but the lower-masts was lying on the 
sands, alongside of the ship ; nothing having been permitted 
to touch the decks in descending. Previously, however, to 
sending down the lower-yards, the launch had been lifted 
from its bed and landed also by the side of the vessel. 

All hands were now mustered on the sands, and the boat 
was launched, an operation of some delicacy, as heavy 
rollers were occasionally coming in. As soon as it floated, 
this powerful auxiliary was swept up to the rocks, and then 


HOMEWARD 

the men began to load it with the standing rigging and th 
sails, the latter having been unbent, as fast as each spar 
came down. Two kedges were found, and a hawser was 
bent to one, when the launch was carried outside of the bar 
and anchored. Lines being brought in, the yards were 
hauled out to the same place, and strongly lashed together 
for the night. A great deal of running rigging, many 
blocks, and divers other small articles, were put into the 
boats of the Montauk, and the jolly-boat of the wreck, 
which was still hanging at her stern, was also lowered and 
got into the water. With these acquisitions, the party had 
now four boats, one of which was heavy and capable of 
carrying a considerable freight. 

By this time it was so late and so dark, that Captain 
Truck determined to suspend his labours until morning. In 
the course of a few hours of active toil, he had secured all 
the yards, the sails, the standing and running rigging, the 
boats, and many of the minor articles of the Dane ; and 
nothing of essential importance remained, but the three 
lower masts. These, it is true, were all in all to him, foi 
without them he would be but little better off than ne was 
before, since his own ship had spare canvas and spare 
yards enough to make a respectable show above the founda 
tion. This &quot;foundation, however, was the great requisite, and 
his principal motive in taking the other things, was to have 
a better fit than could be obtained by using spars and sails 
that were not intended to go together. 

At eight o clock, the people got their suppers, and pre 
pared to turn in for the night. Some conversation passed 
between Captain Truck and his mates, concerning the man 
ner of disposing of the men while they slept, which resulted 
in the former s keeping a well-armed party of ten with him 
in the ship, while the remainder were put in the boats, all 
of which were fastened to the launch, as she lay anchored 
off the bar. Here they made beds of the sails, and, setting 
a watch, the greater portion of both gangs were soon as 
quietly asleep as if lying in their own berths on board the 
Montauk. Not so with Captain Truck and his mates. They 
walked the deck of the Dane fully an hour after the men 
were silent, and for some time after Mr. Monday had finished 
the bottle of wine he had taken the precaution to bring with 
20 


230 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

him from the packet, and had bestowed his person among 
some old sails in the cabin. The night was a bright star 
light, but the moon was not to be expected until near morn 
ing. The wind came off the sands of the interior in hoi 
puffs, but so lightly as to sound, that it breathed past them 
like the sighings of the desert, 

&quot; It is lucky, Mr. Leach,&quot; said the Captain, continuing 
the discourse he had been holding with his mate in a low 
voice, under the sense of the insecurity of their situation ; 
&quot; it is lucky, Mr. Leach, that we got out the stream anchor 
astern, else we should have had the ship rubbing her copper 
against the corners of the rocks. This air seems light, but 
under all her canvas, the Montauk would soon flap her way 
out from this coast, if all were ready.&quot; 

&quot; Ay, ay, sir, if all were ready !&quot; repeated Mr. Leach, as 
if he knew how much honest labour was to be expended be 
fore that happy moment could arrive. 

&quot; If all were ready. I think we may be able to whip these 
three sticks out of this fellow by breakfast-time in the morn 
ing, and then a couple of hours will answer for the raft ; 
after which, a pull of six or eight more will take us back to 
our own craft.&quot; 

&quot; If all goes well, it may be done, sir.&quot; 

&quot; Well or ill, it must be done. We are not in a situation 
to play at jack-straws !&quot; 

&quot; I hope it may be done, sir.&quot; 

&quot; Mr. Leach !&quot; 

&quot; Captain Truck !&quot; 

&quot; We are in a d le category, sir, if the truth must be 

spoken.&quot; 

&quot; That is a word I am not much acquainted with, but we 
have an awkward berth of it here, if that be what you 
mean !&quot; * 

A long pause, during which these two seamen, one of 
whom was old, the other young, paced the deck diligently. 

Mr. Leach !&quot; 

&quot; Captain Truck !&quot; 

&quot; Do you ever pray ?&quot; 

&quot; I have done such a thing in my time, sir ; but, since I 
have sailed with you, I have been taught to work first and 
pray afterwards ; and when the difficulty has been gotten 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 231 

over by the work, the prayers have commonly seemed sur 
plusage.&quot; 

&quot; You should take to your thanksgivings. I think your 
grandfather was a parson Leach.&quot; 

&quot;Yes, he was, sir, and I have been told your father fol 
lowed the same trade.&quot; 

&quot; You have been told the truth, Mr. Leach. My father 
was as meek, and pious, and humble a Christian as ever 
thumped a pulpit. A poor man, and, if truth must be spoken, 
a poor preacher too ; but a zealous one, and thoroughly de 
vout. I ran away from him at twelve, and never passed a 
week at a time under his roof afterwards. He could not do 
much for me, for he had little education and no money, and, 
I believe, carried on the business pretty much by faith. He 
was a good man, Leach, notwithstanding there might be a 
little of a take-in for such a person to set up as a teacher ; 
and, as for my mother, if there ever was a pure spirit on 
earth it was in her body !&quot; 

&quot; Ay, that is the way commonly with the mothers, sir.&quot; 

&quot; She taught me to pray,&quot; added the captain, speaking a 
little thick, &quot; but since I ve been in this London line, to own 
the truth, I find but little time for any thing but hard work, 
until, for want of practice, praying has got to be among the 
hardest things I can turn my hand to.&quot; 

&quot; That is the way with all of us ; it is my opinion, Cap 
tain Truck, these London and Liverpool liners will have a 
good many lost souls to answer for.&quot; 

&quot; Ay, ay, if we could put it on them, it would do well 
enough ; but my honest old father always maintained, that 
every man must stand in the gap left by his own sins; 
though he did assert, also, that we were all fore-ordained to 
shape our courses starboard or port, even before we were 
launched.&quot; 

&quot; That doctrine makes an easy tide s-way of life ; for I 
see no great use in a man s carrying sail and jamming 
himself up in the wind, to claw off immoralities, when he 
knows he is to fetch up upon them after all his pains.&quot; 

&quot; I have worked all sorts of traverses to get hold of this 
matter, and never could make any thing of it. It is harder 
than logarithms. If my father had been the only one to 
teach it, I should have thought less about it, for he was no 


232 HOMEWARD 

scholar, and might have been paying it out just in the way 
of business ; but then my mother believed it, body and soul, 
and she was too good a woman to stick long to a course that 
had not truth to back it.&quot; 

&quot; Why not believe it heartily, sir, and let the wheel fly ? 
One gets to the end of the v y ge on this tack as well as on 
another.&quot; 

&quot; There is no great difficulty in working up to or even 
through the passage of death, Leach, but the great point is 
to know the port we are to moor in finally. My mother 
taught me to pray, and when I was ten I had underrun all 
the Commandments, knew the Lord s Creed, and the Apos 
tles Prayer, and had made a handsome slant into the Cate 
chism; but, dear me, dear me, it has all oozed out of me, 
like the warmth from a Greenlander.&quot; 

&quot; Folks were better educated hi your time, Captain Truck, 
than they are now-a-days, by all I can learn.&quot; 

&quot; No doubt of that in the world. In my time, younkers 
were taught respect for their betters, and for age, and their 
Catechism, and piety, and the Apostles Prayer, and all 
those sort of things. But America has fallen astern sadly 
in manners within the last fifty years. I do not flatter 
myself with being as good as I was when under my excel 
lent dear mother s command, but there are worse men in the 
world, and out of Newgate, too, than John Truck. Now, 
in the way of vices, Leach, I never swear.&quot; 

&quot; Not you, sir ; and Mr. Monday never drinks.&quot; 

As the protestation of sobriety on the part of their passen 
ger had got to be a joke with the officers and men of the 
ship, Captain Truck had no difficulty hi understanding his 
mate, and though nettled at a retort that was like usurping 
his own right to the exclusive quizzing of the vessel, he was 
in a mood much too sentimental and reflecting to be angry. 
After a moment s pause, he resumed the dialogue, as if no 
thing had been said to disturb its harmony. 

&quot; No, I never swear ; or, if I do, it is in a small gentle 
manly way, and with none of your foul-mouthed oaths, such 
as are used by the horse-jockeys lhat formerly sailed out of 
the river.&quot; * 

* Were they hard swearers ?&quot; 

&quot;Is a nor -wester a hard wind? Those fellows, afte- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 233 

they have been choked off and jammed by the religion 
ashore for a month or two, would break out like a hurricane 
when they had made an offing, and were once fairly out of 
hearing of the parsons and deacons. It is said that old Joe 
Bunk began an oath on the bar that he did not get to the end 
of until his brig was off Montauk. I have my doubts, Leach, 
if any thing be gained by screwing down religion and mo 
rals, like a cotton bale, as is practised in and about the 
river !&quot; 

&quot; A good many begin to be of the same way of thinking ; 
for when our people do break out, it is like the small-pox !&quot; 

&quot; I am an advocate for education ; nor do I think I was 
taught in my own case more than was reasonable. I think 
even a prayer is of more use to a ship-master than Latin, 
and I often have, even now, recourse to one, though it may 
not be exactly in Scripture language. I seldom want a wind 
without praying for it, mentally, as it might be ; and as for 
the rheumatis , I am always praying to be rid of it, when 
I m not cursing it starboard and larboard. Has it never 
struck you that the world is less moral since steamboats 
were introduced than formerly ?&quot; 

&quot; The boats date from before my birth, sir.&quot; 

&quot; Very true you are but a boy. Mankind appear to be 
hurried, and no one likes to stop to pray, or to foot up his 
sins, as used to be the case. Life is like a passage at sea. 
We feel our way cautiously until off soundings on our own 
coast, and then we have an easy time of it in ^he deep wa 
ter ; but when we get near the shoals again, we take out the 
lead, and mind a little how we steer. It is the going off and 
coming on the coast, that gives us all the trouble.&quot; 

&quot; You had some object in view, Captain Truck, when you 
asked me if I ever prayed !&quot; 

&quot; Certain. If I were to set to work to pray myself just 
now, it would be for smooth water to-morrow, that we may 
have a good time in towing the raft to the ship hist ! Leach 
did you hoar nothing ?&quot; 

&quot; There was a sound different from what is common in 
the air from the land ! It is probably some savage beast, 
for Africa is full of thegT* 

&quot; I think we might manage a lion from this fortress. Un 
less the fellow found the stage, he could hardly board us ; 
20* 


234 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

and a plank or two thrown from that, would make a draw 
bridge of it at once. Look yonder! there is something 
moving on the bank, or my eyes are two jewel-blocks.&quot; 

Mr. Leach looked in the required direction, and he, too, 
fancied he saw something in motion on the margin of the 
bank. At the point where the wreck lay, the beach was far 
from wide, and her flying jib-boom, which was still out, pro 
jected so near the low acclivity, where the coast rose to the 
level of the desert, as to come within ten feet of the bushes 
by which the latter was fringed. Although the spar had 
drooped a little in consequence of having lost the support of 
the stays, its end was still sufficiently high to rise above the 
leaves, and to permit one seated on it to overlook the plain, 
as well as the starlight would allow. Believing the duty to 
be important, Captain Truck, first giving his orders to Mr. 
Leach, as to the mode of alarming the men, should it be 
come necessary, went cautiously out on the bowsprit, and 
thence by the foot-ropes, to the farther extremity of the 
booms. As this was done with the steadiness of a seaman 
and with the utmost care to prevent discovery, he was soon 
stretched on the spar, balancing his body by his legs be 
neath, and casting eager glances about, though prevented by 
the obscurity from seeing either far or very distinctly. 

After lying in this position a minute, Captain Truck dis 
covered an object on the plains, at the distance of a hundred 
yards from the bushes, that was evidently in motion. H^ 
was now all watchfulness, for, had he not seen the proofs 
that the Ardbs or Moors had already been at the wreck, he 
knew that parties of them were constantly hovering along ^ 
the coast, especially after every heavy gale that blew from 
the westward, in the hope of booty. As all his own people 
were asleep, the mates exceptcd, and the boats could just be 
discovered by himself, who knew their position, he was in 
hopes that, should any of the barbarians be near, the pre 
sence of his own party could hardly be known. It is true, 
the alteration in the appearance of the wreck, by the re 
moval of the spars, must strike any one who had seen it 
before , but this change might have been made by another 
party of marauders, or those whf had now come, if any 
there were, might see the vessel forthe first time. 

While such thoughts were rapidly glancing through his 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 235 

mind, the reader will readily imagine that the worthy mas 
ter was not altogether at his ease. Still he was cool, and, 
as he was resolved to fight his way off, even against an 
army, he clung to the spar with a species of physical reso 
lution that would have done credit to a tiger. The object on 
the plain moved once more, and the clouds opening beycnd, 
he plainly made out the head and neck of a dromedary. 
There was but one, however ; nor could the most scrupu 
lous examination show him a human being. After remain 
ing a quarter of an hour on the boom, during all which time 
the only sounds that were heard were the sighings of the 
night-air, and the sullen and steady wash of the surf, Cap 
tain Truck came on deck again, where he found his mate 
waiting his report with intense anxiety. The former was 
fully aware of the importance of his discovery, but, being a 
cool man, he had not magnified the danger to himself. 

&quot; The Moors are down on the coast,&quot; he said, in an under 
tone ; &quot; but I do not think there can be more than two or 
three of them at the most ; probably spies or scouts ; and, 
could we seize them, we may gain a few hours on their com 
rades, which will be all we want ; after which they shall be 
welcome to the salt and the other dunnage of the poor Dane. 
Leach, are you the man to stand by me in this affair ?&quot; 

&quot; Have I ever failed you, Captain Truck, that you put the 
question ?&quot; 

&quot; That you have never, my fine fellow ; give me a squeeze 
of your honest hand, abd let there be a pledge of life or 
death in it.&quot; 

The mate met the iron grasp of his commander, and 
each knew that he received an assurance on which he might 
rely. 

&quot; Shall I awake the men, sir ?&quot; asked Mr. Leach. 

&quot; Not one of them. Every hour of sleep the people get 
will be a lower mast saved. These sticks that still remain 
are our foundation, and even one of them is of more account 
to us, just now, than a fleet of ships might be at another 
time. Take your arms and follow me; but first we will 
give a hint to the second-mate of what we are about.&quot; 

This officer was asleep on the deck, for he had been so 
much wearied with his great exertions that afternoon as to 
catch a little rest as the sweetest of all gifts. It had been 


236 HOMEWARD BOUWD. 

the intention of Captain Truck to dismiss him to the boats ; 
but, observing him to be overcome with drowsiness, he had 
permitted him to catch a nap where he lay. The look-out, 
too, was also slumbering under the same indulgence ; bu; 
both were now awakened, and made acquainted with the 
state of things on shore. 

&quot; Keep your eyes open, but keep a dead silence,&quot; con 
eluded Captain Truck ; &quot; for it is my wish to deceive these 
scouts, and to keep them ignorant of our presence. When 
I cry out * Alarm ! you will muster all hands, and cleai 
away for a brush, but not before. God bless you, my lads ! 
mind and keep your eyes open. Leach, I am ready.&quot; 

The captain and his companion cautiously descended to 
the sands, and passing astern of the ship, they first took 
their way to the jolly-boat, which lay at the rocks in read 
iness to carry off the two officers to the launch. Here they 
found the two men in charge so soundly asleep, that nothing 
would have been easier than to bind them without giving the 
alarm. After a little hesitation, it was determined to let 
them dream away their sorrows, and to proceed to the spot 
where the bank was ascended. 

At this place it became necessary to use the greatest pre 
caution, for it was literally entering the enemy s country. 
The steepness of the short ascent requiring them to mount 
nearly on their hands and feet, this part of their progress 
was made without much hazard, and the two adventurers 
stood on the plain, sheltered by some bushes. 

&quot; Yonder is the camel,&quot; whispered the captain: &quot; you see 
his crooked neck, with the head tossing at moments. The 
fellow is not fifty yards from the body of the poor German! 
Now let us follow along this line of bushes, and keep a &harp 
look-out for the rider.&quot; 

They proceeded in the manner mentioned, until they came 
to a point where the bushes ceased, and there was an opening 
that overlooked the beach quite near the wreck. 

&quot;Do you see the boats, Leach, here away, in a line with 
the starboard davit of the Dane? They look like dark spots 
on the water, and an ignorant Arab might be excused for 
taking them for rocks.&quot; 

&quot; Except that they rise and fall with the rollers; he must 
be doubly a Turk who could make such a blunder ! n 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 237 

&quot;Your wanderers of the desert are not so particular. 
The wreck has certainly undergone some changes since 
yesterday, and I should not wonder if even a Mussulman 
found them out, but &quot; 

The gripe of Mr. Leach, whose fingers almost entered the 
flesh of his arm, and a hand pointed towards the bushes on 
the other side of the opening, silenced the captain s whisper. 
A human form was seen standing on the fringe of the bank, 
directly opposite the jib-boom. It was swaddled in a sort of 
cloak, and the long musket that was borne in a hollow of an 
arm, was just discernible, diverging from the line of the 
figure. The Arab, for such it could only be, was evidently 
gazing on the wreck, and presently he ventured out more 
boldly, and stood on the spot that was clear of bushes. The 
death-like stillness on the beach deceived him, and he ad 
vanced with less caution towards the spot where the two 
officers were in ambush, still keeping his own eye on the 
ship. A few steps brought him within reach of Captain 
Truck, who drew back his arm until the elbow reached his 
own hip, when he darted it forward, and dealt the incautious 
barbarian a severe blow between the eyes. The Arab fell 
like a slaughtered .ox, and before his senses were fairly re 
covered, he was bound hands and feet, and rolled over the 
bank down upon the beach, with little ceremony, his fire 
arms remaining with his captors. 

&quot;That lad is in a category,&quot; whispered the captain; &quot; it 
now remains to be seen if there is another.&quot; 

A long search was not rewarded with success, and it was 
determined to lead the camel down the path, with a view 
to prevent his being seen by any wanderer in the morning. 

&quot; If we get the lower masts out betimes,&quot; continued the 
captain, &quot; these land pirates will have no beacons in sight to 
steer by, and, in a country in which one grain of sand is so 
much like another, they might hunt a week before they made 
a happy land-fall.&quot; 

The approach of the two towards the camel was made 
with less caution than usual, the success of their enterprise 
throwing them off their guard, and exciting their spirits. 
They believed, in short, that their captive was either a soli 
tary wanderer, or that he had been sent ahead as a scout, 


238 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

by some party that would be likely to follow in the morn 
ing. 

&quot; We must be up and at work before the sun, Mr. Leach, 
said the captain, speaking clearly, but in a low tone, as they 
approached the camel: The head of the animal was tossed ; 
then it seemed to snuff the air, and it gave a shriek. In the 
twinkling of an eye an Arab sprang from the sand, on 
which he had been sleeping, and was on the creature s back. 
He was seen to look around him, and before the startled 
mariners had time to decide on their course, the beast, 
which was a dromedary trained to speed, was out of sight 
in the darkness. Captain Truck had thrown forward his 
fowling-piece, but he did not fire. 

&quot; We have no right to shoot the fellow,&quot; he said, &quot; and 
our hope is now in the distance he will have to ride to join 
his comrades. If we have got a chief, as I suspect, we will 
make a hostage of him, and turn him to as much account 
as he can possibly turn one of his own camels. Depend 
on it we shall see no more of them for several hours, and 
we will seize the opportunity to get a little sleep. A man 
must have his watch below, or he gets to be as dull and as 
obstinate as a top-maul.&quot; 

The captain having made up his mind to this plan was 
not slow in putting it in execution. Returning to the beach 
they liberated the legs of their prisoner, whom they found 
lying like a log on the sands, and made him mount the 
staging to the deck of the ship. Leading the way into the 
cabin, Mr. Truck examined the fellow by a light, turning 
him round and commenting on his points very much as he 
might have done had the captive been any other animal of 
the desert. 

The Arab was a swarthy, sinewy man of forty, with all 
his fibres indurated and worked down to the whip-cord mea 
greness and rigidity of a racer, his frame presenting a per 
fect picture of the sort of being one would fancy suited to 
the exhausting motion of a dromedary, and to the fare of 
a desert. He carried a formidable knife, in addition to the 
long musket of which he had been deprived, and his prin 
cipal garment was the coarse mantle of camel s hair, that 
served equally for cap, coat and robe. His wild dark eyes 
gleamed, as Captain Truck passed the lamp before his face, 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 239 

and it was sufficiently apparent that he fancied a very 
serious misfortune had befallen him. As any verbal com- 
mumcation was out of the question, some abortive attempts 
were essayed by the two manners to make themselves un 
derstood by signs, which, like some men s reasoning, pro 
duced results exactly contrary to what had been expected. 

&quot; Perhaps the poor fellow fancies we mean to eat him, 
Leach,&quot; observed the captain, after trying his skill in pan 
tomime for some time without success ; &quot; and he has some 
grounds for the idea, as he was felled like an ox that is 
bound to the kitchen. Try and let the miserable wretch 
understand, at least, that we are not cannibals.&quot; 

Hereupon the mate commenced an expressive pantomime, 
which described, with sufficient clearness, the process of 
skinning, cutting up, cooking, and eating the carcass of the 
Arab, with the humane intention of throwing a negative 
over the whole proceeding, by a strong sign of dissent at 
the close ; but there are no proper substitutes for the little 
monosyllables of &quot; yes&quot; and &quot; no,&quot; and the meaning of the 
interpreter got to be so confounded that the captain himself 
was mystified. 

&quot; D n it, Leach,&quot; he interrupted, &quot; the man fancies that 
he is not good eating, you make so many wry and out-of- 
the-way contortions. A sign is a jury-mast for the tongue, 
and every seaman ought to know how to practise them, in 
case he should be wrecked on a savage and unknown coast. 
Old Joe Bunk had a dictionary of them, and in calm 
weather he used to go among his horses and horned cattle, 
and talk with them by the hour. He made a diagram of 
the language, and had it taught to all us younkers who 
were exposed to the accidents of the bea. Now, I will try 
my hand on this Arab, for I could never go to sleep while 
the honest black imagined we intended to breakfast on 
him.&quot; 

The captain now recommenced his own explanations in 
the language of nature. He too described the process of 
cooking and eating the prisoner for this he admitted was 
indispensable by way of preface and then, to show his 
horror of such an act, he gave a very good representation 
of a process he had often witnessed among his sea-sick pas 
sengers, by way of showing his loathing of cannibalism in 


240 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

general, and of eating this Arab in particular. By this time 
the man was thoroughly alarmed, and by way of commen 
tary on the captain s eloquence, he began to utter wailings 
in his own language, and groans that were not to be mis 
taken. To own the truth, Mr. Truck was a good deal mor 
tified with this failure, which,, like all other unsuccessful 
persons, he was ready to ascribe to anybody but himself. 

&quot; I begin to think, Mr. Leach,&quot; he said, &quot; that this fellow 
is too stupid for a spy or a scout, and that, after all, he is no 
more than a driveller who has strayed from his tribe, from 
a want of sense to keep the road in a desert. A man of the 
smallest information must have understood me, and yet you 
perceive by his lamentations and outcries that he knows no 
more what I said than if he were in another parallel of lati 
tude. The chap has quite mistaken my character ; for if 1 
really did intend to make a beast of myself, and devour my 
species, no one of the smallest knowledge of human nature 
would think I d begin on a nigger ! What is your opinion 
of the man s mistake, Mr. Leach ?&quot; 

&quot; It is very plain, sir, that he supposes you mean to broil 
him, and then to eat so much of his steaks, that you will be 
compelled to heave up like a marine two hours out ; and, if 
I must say the truth, I think most people would have inferred 
the same thing from your signs, which are as plainly canni 
bal as any thing of the sort I ever witnessed.&quot; 

&quot;And what the devil did he make of yours, Master 
Cookery-Book ?&quot; cried the captain with some heat. &quot; Did 
he fancy you meant to mortify the flesh with a fortnight s 
fast ? No, no, sir ; you are a very respectable first officer, 
but are no more acquainted with Joe Bunk s principles of 
signs, than this editor here knows of truth and propriety. 
It is your blundering manner of soliloquizing that* has set 
the lad on a wrong traverse. He has just grafted your own 
idea on my communication, and has got himself into a cate 
gory that a book itself would not reason him out of, until 
his fright is passed. Logic is thrown away on all * skeary 
animals,&quot; said old Joe Bunk. Hearkee, Leach, I ve a mind 
to set the rascal adrift, condemning the gun and the knife 
for the benefit of the captors. I think I should sleep better 
for the certainty that he was trudging along the sand, satis 
fied he was not to be barbecued in the morning.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 41 

** There is no use in detaining him, sir, for his messmate, 
who went off on the dromedary, will sail a hundred feet to 
his one, and if an alarm is really to be given to their party, 
it will not come from this chap. He will be unarmed, and 
by taking away his pouch we shall get some ammunition for 
this gun of his, which will throw a shot as far as Queen 
Anne s pocket-piece. For my part, sir, I think there is no 
great use in keeping him, for I do not think he would under 
stand us, if he stayed a month, and went to school the whole 
time.&quot; 

&quot; You are quite right, and as long as he is among us, we 
shall be liable to unpleasant misconceptions ; so cut his lash 
ings, and set him adrift, and be d d to him.&quot; 

The mate, who by this time was drowsy, did as desired, 
and in a moment the Arab was at liberty. At first the poor 
creature did not know what to make of his freedom, but a 
smart application, d posteriori, from the foot of Captain 
Truck, whose humanity was of the rough quality of the seas, 
soon set him in motion up the cabin-ladder. When the 
two mariners reached the deck, their prisoner was already 
leaping down the staging, and in another minute his active 
form was obscurely seen clambering up the bank, on gain 
ing which he plunged into the desert, and was seen no 
more. 

None but men indurated in their feelings by long expo 
sure would be likely to sleep under the circumstances in 
which these two seamen were placed; but they were both 
too cool, and too much accustomed to arouse themselves on 
sudden alarms, to lose the precious moments in womanish 
apprehensions, when they knew that all their physical ener 
gies would be needed on tha morrow, whether the Arabs 
arrived or not. They accordingly regulated the look-outs, 
gave strong admonitions of caution to be passed from one 
to another, and then the captain stretched himself in the 
berth of the poor Dane who was now a captive in the 
desert, while Mr. Leach got into the jolly-boat, and was 
pulled off to the launch. Both were sound asleep in less 
than five minutes after their heads touched their temporary 
pillows. 

21 


242 HOMEWARD BOUND, 


CHAPTEK XIX. 


Ay, he does well enough, if he be disposed, 
And so do I too ; he does it with a better grace, but 
I do it more natural. 

TWELFTH NIGHT. 


THE sleep of the weary is sweet. Of all the party that 
lay thus buried in sleep, on the verge of the Great Desert, 
exposed at any moment to an assault from its ruthless and 
predatory occupants, but one bethought him of the danger ; 
though he was, in truth, so little exposed as to have rendered 
it of less moment to himself than to most of the others, had 
he not been the possessor of a fancy that served oflener to 
lead him astray than for any purposes that were useful or 
pleasing. This person was in one of the boats, and as they 
lay at a reasonable distance from the land, and the barba 
rians would not probably have known how to use any craft 
had they even possessed one, he was consequently safe from 
everything but a discharge from their long muskets. But 
this remote risk sufficed to keep him awake, it being very 
different things to foster malice, circulate gossip, write scur 
rilous paragraphs, and cant about the people, and to face a 
volley of fire-arms. For the one employment, nature, tra 
dition, education, and habit, had expressly fitted Mr. Dodge ; 
while for the other, he had not the smallest vocation. Al 
though Mr. Leach, in setting his look-outs on board the 
boats, had entirely overlooked the editor of the Active 
Inquirer, never before had that vigilant person s inquiries 
been more active than they were throughout the whole of 
that long night, and twenty times would he have aroused the 
party on false alarms, but for the cool indifference of the 
phlegmatic seamen, to whom the duty more properly be 
longed. These brave fellows knew too well the precious 
qualities of sleep to allow that of their shipmates to be cause 
lessly disturbed by the nervous apprehensions of one who 
carried with him an everlasting stimulant to fear in the con 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 243 

sciousness of demerit. The night passed away undisturbed, 
therefore, nor was the order of the regular watch broken 
until the look-outs in the wreck, agreeably to their orders, 
awoke Captain Truck and his mates. 

It was now precisely at the moment when the first, and 
as it might be tho fugitive, rays of the sun glide into the 
atmosphere, and, to uso a quaint expression, &quot; dilute its 
darkness.&quot; One no longer saw by starlight, or by moonlight, 
though a little of both were still left ; but objects, though 
indistinct and dusky, had their true outlines, while every 
moment rendered their surfaces more obvious. 

When Captain Truck appeared on deck, his first glance 
was at the ocean ; for, were its tranquillity seriously dis 
turbed, it would be a death-blow to all his hopes. Fortu 
nately, in this particular, there was no change. 

&quot; The winds seem to have put themselves out of breath 
in the last gale, Mr. Leach,&quot; he said, &quot; and we are likely 
to get the spars round as quietly as if they were so many 
saw-logs floating in a mill-pond. Even the ground-swell 
has lessened, and the breakers on the bar look like the 
ripple of a wash-tub. Turn the people up, sir, and let us 
have a drag at these sticks before breakfast, or we may 
have to broil an Arab yet.&quot; 

Mr. Leach hailed the boats, and ordered them to send 
their gang of labourers on shore. He then gave the accus 
tomed raps on the deck, and called &quot; all hands&quot; in the ship. 
In a minute the men began to appear, yawning and stretch 
ing their arms for no one had thrown aside his clothes 
most of them launching their sea-jokes right and left, with 
as much indifference as if they lay quietly in the port to 
which they were bound. After some eight or ten minutes 
io shake themselves, and to get &quot; aired,&quot; as Mr. Leach 
expressed it, the whole party was again mustered on the 
deck of the Dane, with the exception of a hand or two in 
the launch, and Mr. Dodge. The latter had assumed the 
office of sentinel over the jolty-boat, which, as usual, lay at 
the rocks, to carry such articles off as might be wanted. 

&quot; Send a hand up into the foretop, Mr. Leach ,&quot; said the 
captain, gaping like a greyhound ; &quot; a fellow with sharp 
oyes ; none of your chaps who read with their noses down 


244 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

in the cloudy weather of an almanack ; and let mm take a 
look at the desert, in search of Arabs.&quot; 

Although the lower rigging was down and safe in the 
launch, a girt-line, or as Captain Truck in the true Doric of 
his profession pronounced it, a &quot; gimt-lme&quot; was rove at 
each mast, and a man was accordingly hauled up forward 
as soon as possible. As it was still too dusky to distinguish 
far with accuracy, the captain hailed him, and bade him 
stay where he was until ordered down, and to keep a sharp 
look-out. 

&quot; We had a visit from one chap in the night,&quot; he added, 
&quot; and as he was a hungry-looking rascal, he is a greater 
fool than I think him, or he will be back before long, after 
some of the beef and stock-fish of the wreck. Keep a bright 
look-out.&quot; 

The men, though accustomed to their commander s man 
ner, looked at each other more seriously, glanced around at 
their arms, and then the information produced precisely the 
effect that had been intended, that of inducing .them to apply 
to their work with threefold vigour. 

&quot; Let the boys chew upon that, instead of their tobacco,&quot; 
observed the captain to Mr. Leach, as he hunted for a good 
coal in the galley to light his cigar with. &quot; I ll warrant you 
the sheers go up none the slower for the information, des 
perate philosophers as some of these gentry are !&quot; 

This prognostic was true enough, for instead of gaping 
and stretching themselves about the deck, as had been the 
case with most of them a minute before, the men now com 
menced their duty in good earnest, calling to each other to 
come to the falls and the capstan-bars, and to stand by the 
heels of the sheers. 

&quot; Heave away !&quot; cried the mate, smiling to see how 
quick the captain s hint had been taken ; &quot; heave round 
with a will, men, and let us set these legs on end, that they 
may walk.&quot; 

As the order was obeyed to the letter, the day had not 
fairly opened when the sheers were in their places and 
secured. Every man was all activity, and as their work 
was directed by those whose knowledge was never at fault, 
a landsman would have been surprised at the readiness 
with which the crew next raised a spar as heavy as the 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 245 

mainmast, and had it suspended, top and all, in the air, 
high enough to be borne over the side. The lowering was 
a trifling affair, and the massive stick was soon lying at its 
length on the sands. Captain Truck well knew the great 
importance of this particular spar, for he might make out 
with the part of the foremast that remained in the packet, 
whereas, without this mast he could not possibly rig any 
thing of much available use aft. He called out to the men, 
therefore, as he sprang upon the staging, to follow him and 
to launch the spar into the water before they breakfasted. 

&quot; Let us make sure of this fellow, men,&quot; he added, &quot; foi 
it is our mainstay. With this stick fairly in our raft, we 
may yet make a passage ; no one must think of his teetl 
till it is out of all risk. This stick we must have, if w^ 
make war on the Emperor of Morocco for its possession. 

The people knew the necessity for exertion, and they 
worked accordingly. The top was knocked off, and car 
ried down to the water ; the spar was then cut round, and 
rolled after it, not without trouble, however, as the trestle 
trees were left on ; but the descent of the sands favoured 
the labour. When on the margin of the sea, by the aid of 
hand-spikes, the head was got afloat, or so nearly so, as to 
require but little force to move it, when a line from the 
boats was fastened to the outer end, and the top was 
secured alongside. 

&quot; Now, clap your hand-spikes under it, boys, and heave 
away !&quot; cried the captain. &quot; Heave together and keep the 
stick straight heave, and his head is afloat ! Haul, haul 
away in the boat ! heave all at once, and as if you were 
giants ! you gained three feet that tug, my hearties try 
him again, gentlemen, as you are and move together, like 
girls in a cotillion Away with it ! What the devil are 
you staring at, in the fore-top there? Have you nothing 
better to do than to amuse yourself in seeing us heave our 
insides out?&quot; 

The intense interest attached to the securing of this spar 
had extended to the look-out in the top, and instead of 
keeping his eye on the desert, as ordered, he was looking 
down at the party on the beach, and betraying his sympa 
thy in their efforts by bending his body, and appearing to 
heave in common with his messmates. Admonished of 
21* 


246 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

his neglect by this sharp rebuke, he turned round quickly 
towards the desert, and gave the fearful alarm of &quot;The 
Arabs !&quot; 

Every man ceased his work, and the whole were on the 
point of rushing in a body towards their arms, when the 
greater steadiness of Captain Truck prevented it. 

&quot; Whereaway ?&quot; he demanded sternly. 

&quot; On the most distant hillock of sand, may be a mile and 
a half inland.&quot; 

&quot; How do they head ?&quot; 

&quot; Dead down upon us, sir.&quot; 

&quot; How do they travel ?&quot; 

&quot; They have camels, and horses : all are mounted, sir.&quot; 

&quot; What is their number?&quot; 

The man paused, as if to count, and then he called out, 

&quot; They are strong-handed, sir ; quite a hundred I think. 
They have brought up, sir, and seem to be sounding about 
them for an anchorage.&quot; 

Captain Truck hesitated, and he looked wistfully at the 
mast. 

&quot; Boys !&quot; said he, shaking his hand over the bit of mas 
sive wood, with energy, &quot; this spar is of more importance to 
us than our mother s milk in infancy. It is our victuals and 
drink, life and hopes. Let us swear we will have it in spite 
of a thousand Arabs. Stoop to your hand-spikes, and heave 
at the word heave as if you had a world to move, heave, 
men, heave!&quot; 

The people obeyed, and the mast advanced more than 
half the necessary distance into the water. But the man 
now called out that the Arabs were advancing swiftly to 
wards the ship. 

&quot; One more effort, men,&quot; said Captain Truck, reddening 
in the face with anxiety, and throwing down his hat to set 
the example in person, &quot; heave !&quot; 

The men hove, and the spar floated. 

&quot; Now to your arms, boys, and you, sir, in the top, keep 
yourself hid behind the head of the mast. We must be 
ready to show these gentry we are not afraid of them.&quot; A 
sign of the hand told the men in the launch to haul away, 
and the all-important spar floated slowly across the bar, to 
ioin the raft. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


247 


The men now hurried up to the ship, a post that Captain 
Truck declared he could maintain against a whole tribe, 
while Mr. Dodge began incontinently to scull the jolly-boat, 
in the best manner he could, off to the launch. All re 
monstrance was useless, as he had got as far as the bar be 
fore he was perceived. Both Sir George Templemore and 
Mr. Monday loudly denounced him for deserting the party 
on the shore in this scandalous manner, but quite without 
effect. Mr. Dodge s skill, unfortunately for his success, did 
not quite equal his zeal ; and finding, when he got on the 
bar, that he was unable to keep the boat s head to the sea, 
or indeed to manage it at all, he fairly jumped into the 
water and swam lustily towards the launch. As he was ex 
pert at this exercise, he arrived safely, cursing in his heart 
all travelling, the desert, the Arabs, and mankind in general, 
wishing himself quietly back in Dodgeopolis again, among 
his beloved people. The boat drove upon the sands, of 
course, and was eventually taken care of by two of the 
Montauk s crew. 

As soon as Captain Truck found himself on the deck of 
the Dane, the arms were distributed among the people. It 
was clearly his policy not to commence the war, for he had 
nothing, in an affirmative sense, to gain by it, though, with 
out making any professions, his mind was fully made up 
not to be taken alive, as long as there was a possibility of 
averting such a disaster. The man aloft gave constant no 
tice of the movements of the Arabs, and he soon announced 
that they had halted at a pistol s shot from the bank, where 
they were securing their camels, and that his first estimate 
of their force was true. 

In the mean time, Captain Truck was far from satisfied 
with his position. The bank was higher than the deck of 
the ship, and so near it as to render the bulwarks of little 
use, had those of the Dane been of any available thickness, 
which they were not. Then, the position of the ship, lying 
a little on one side, with her bows towards the land, exposed 
her to being swept by a raking fire; a cunning enemy 
having it in his power, by making a cover of the bank, to 
pick off his men, with little or no exposure to himself. The 
odds were too great to sally upon the plain, and although 


248 HOMEWARD BOtWD. 

the rocks offered a tolerable cover towards the land, they 
had none towards the ship. Divide his force he dared not 
do, and by abandoning the ship, he would allow the Arabs 
to seize her, thus commanding the other position, besides the 
remainder of the stores, which he was desirous of securing. 

Men think fast in trying circumstances, and although the 
captain was in a situation so perfectly novel, his practical 
knowledge and great coolness rendered him an invaluable 
commander to those under his orders. 

&quot; I do not know, gentlemen,&quot; he said, addressing his pas 
sengers and mates, &quot; that Vattel has laid down any rule to 
govern this case. These Arabs, no doubt, are the lawful 
owners of the country, in one sense ; but it is a desert and 
a desert, like a sea, is common property for the time being, 
to all who find themselves in it. There are no wreck- 
masters in Africa, and probably no law concerning wrecks, 
but the law of the strongest. We have been driven in here, 
moreover, by stress of weather and this is a category on 
which Vattel has been very explicit. We have a right to 
the hospitality of these Arabs, and if it be not freely 

accorded, d n me, gentlemen, but I feel disposed to take 

just as much of it as I find I shall have occasion for ! Mr. 
Monday, I should like to hear your sentiments on this 
subject.&quot; 

&quot; Why, sir,&quot; returned Mr. Monday, &quot; I have the greatest 
confidence in your knowledge, Captain Truck, and am 
equally ready for peace or war, although my calling is for 
the first. I should try negotiation to begin with, sir, if it be 
practicable, and you will allow me to express an opinion ; 
after which I would offer war.&quot; 

&quot; I am quite of the same mind, sir ; but in what way are 
we to negotiate with a people we cannot make understand a 
word we say ? It is true, if they were versed in the science 
of signs, one might do something with them ; but I have 
reason to know that they are as stupid as boobies on all such 
subjects. We shall get ourselves into a category at the first 
protocol, as the writers say.&quot; 

Now, Mr. Monday thought there was a language that any 
man might understand, and he was strongly disposed to 
profit by it. In rummaging the wreck, he had discovered a 


HOMEWARD BOUJTD. 249 

case of liquor, besides a cask of Hollands, and he thought 
an offering of these might have the effect to put the Arabs 
m good humour at least. 

&quot; I have known men, who, treated with dry, in matters 
of trade, were as obstinate as mules, become reasonable and 
pliable, sir, over a bottle,&quot; he said, after explaining where 
the liquor was to be found ; and I think, if we offer the 
Arabs this, after they have been in possession a short time, 
we shall find them better disposed towards us. If it should 
not prove so, I confess, for one, I should feel less reluctance 
in shooting them than before.&quot; 

&quot;I have somewhere heard that the Mussulmans never 
drink, observed Sir George ; &quot; in which case we shall find 
our offering despised. Then there is the difficulty of a first 
possession ; for, if these people are the same as those that 
were here before, they may not thank us for giving them so 
small a part of that, of which they may lay claim to all. 
1 m very sure, were any one to offer me my patent pistols, 
as a motive for letting him carry away my patent razors, or 
the East India dressing-case, or any thing else I own, I 
should not feel particularly obliged to him.&quot; 

&quot; Capitally put, Sir George, and I should be quite of your 
way of thinking, if I did not believe these Arabs might really 
be mollified by a little drink. If I had a proper ambassador 
t0 lth the offerin g&amp;gt; l would resort to the plan at once.&quot; 
Mr. Monday, after a moment s hesitation, spiritedly offered 
to be one of two, to go to the Arabs with the proposal, for 
3 had sufficient penetration to perceive that there was little 
danger of his being seized, while an armed party of so 
much strength remained to be overcome and he had suffi 
cient nerve to encounter the risk. All he asked was a com- 
pamon, and Captain Truck was so much struck with the 
spirit of the volunteer, that he made up his mind to accom 
pany him himself. To this plan, however, both the mates 
and all the crew, stoutly but respectfully objected. They 
leit his importance too much to consent to this exposure, and 
neither^ the mates, even, would be allowed to go on an 
expedition of so much hazard, without a sufficient motive. 
1 hey might fight, if they pleased, but they should not run 
into the mouth of the lion unarmed and unresisting. 

It is of no moment,&quot; said Mr. Monday ; I could have 


250 HOMEWARD BOUND* 

liked a gentlemen for my companion ; but no one of the 
brave fellows will have any objection to passing an hour in 
company with an Arab Sheik over a bottle. What say you 
my lads, will any one of you volunteer ?&quot; 

&quot; Ay, ay, sir !&quot; cried a dozen in a breath. 

&quot; This will never do,&quot; interrupted the captain ; &quot; I have 
need of the men, for my heart is still set on these two sticks 
that remain, and we have a head-sea and a stiff breeze to 
struggle with in getting back to the ship. By George, I 
have it ! What do you say to Mr. Dodge for a companion, 
Mr. Monday 1 He is used to committees, and likes the ser 
vice: and then he has need of some stimulant, after the 
ducking he has received. Mr. Leach, take a couple of hands, 
and go off in the jolly-boat and bring Mr. Dodge on shore. 
My compliments to him, and tell him he has been unani 
mously chosen to a most honourable and lucrative ay, and 
a popular employment.&quot; 

As this was an order, the mate did not scruple about 
obeying it. He was soon afloat, and on his way towards 
the launch. Captain Truck now hailed the top, and in 
quired what the Arabs were about. The answer was satis 
factory, as they were still busy with their camels and in 
pitching their tents. This did not look much like an imme 
diate war, and bidding the man aloft to give timely notice 
of their approach, Mr. Truck fancied he might still have 
time to&quot; shift his sheers, and to whip out the mizzen-mast, and 
he accordingly set about it without further delay. 

As every one worked, as it might be for life, in fifteen 
minutes this light spar was suspended in the falls. In ten 
more its heel was clear of the bulwarks, and it was lowered 
on the sands almost by the run. To knock off the top and 
roll it down to the water took but a few minutes longer, and 
then the people were called to their breakfast ; the sentinel 
aloft reporting that the Arabs were employed in the same 
manner, and in milking their camels. This was a fortunate 
relief, and every body ate in peace, and in the full assurance 
that those whom they so much distrusted were equally en 
gaged in the same pacific manner. 

Neither the Arabs nor the seamen, however, lost any 
unnecessary time at the meal. The former were soon re 
ported to be coming and going in parties of fifteen or twenty, 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 251 

arriving and departing in an eastern direction. Occasion 
ally a single runner went or came alone, on a fleet drome 
dary, as if communications were held with other bodies 
which lay deeper in the desert. All this intelligence ren 
dered Captain Truck very uneasy, and he thought it time 
seriously to take some decided measures to bring this 
matter to an issue. Still, as time gained was all in his 
favour if improved, he first ordered the men to begin to 
shift the sheers forward, in hopes of being yet able to 
carry off the foremast ; a spar that would be exceedingly 
useful, as it would save the necessity of fishing a new head 
to the one which still stood in the packet. He then went 
aside with his two ambassadors, with a view to give his in 
structions. 

Mr. Dodge had no sooner found himself safe in the launch 
than he felt his courage revive, and with his courage, his 
ingenuity, self-love and assurance. While in the water, a 
meeker man there was not on earth ; he had even some 
doubts as to the truth of all his favourite notions of liberty 
and equality, for men think fast in danger, and there was 
an instant when he might have been easily persuaded to ac 
knowledge himself a demagogue and a hypocrite in his ordi 
nary practices ; one whose chief motive was self, and whose 
besetting passions were envy, distrust and malice; or, in 
other words, very much the creature he was. Shame came 
next, and he eagerly sought an excuse for the want of man 
liness he had betrayed ; but, passing over the language he 
had held in the launch, and the means Mr. Leach found to 
persuade him to land again, we shall give his apology in his 
own words, as he now somewhat hurriedly delivered it, to 
Captain Truck, in his own person. 

&quot;I must have misunderstood your arrangement, captain,&quot; 
he said ; &quot; for somehow, though how I do not exactly know 
but somehow the alarm of the Arabs was no sooner given 
than I felt as if I ought to be in the launch to be at my post ; 
but I suppose it was because I knew that the sails and spars 
that brought us here are mostly there, and that this was the 
spot to be most resolutely defended. I do think, if they 
had waded off to us, I should have fought like a tiger !&quot; 

&quot; No doubt you would, my dear sir, and like a wild cat 
too! We all make mistakes in judgment, in war, and in 


252 HOMEWARD BOUND, 

politics, and no fact is better known than that the best sol 
diers in the end are they who give a little ground at the 
first attack. But Mr. Leach has explained to you the plan 
of Mr. Monday, and I rely on your spirit and zeal, which 
there is now an excellent opportunity to prove, as before it 
was only demonstrated.&quot; 

&quot; If it were only an opportunity of meeting the Arabs 
sword in hand, captain.&quot; 

&quot; Pooh ! pooh ! my dear friend, take two swords if you 
choose. One who is full of fight can never get the battle 
on his own terms. Fill the Arabs with the schnaps of the 
poor Dane, and if they should make the smallest symptom 
of moving down towards us, I rely on you to give the 
alarm, in order that we may be ready for them. Trust to 
us for the overture of the piece, as I trust to you for the 
overtures of peace.&quot; 

&quot; In what way can we possibly do this, Mr. Monday 1 
How can we give the alarm in season ? 

&quot; Why,&quot; interposed the unmoved captain, &quot; you may 
just shoot the sheik, and that will be killing two birds with 
one stone ; you will take your pistols, of course, and blaze 
away upon them, starboard and larboard ; rely on it, we 
shall hear you.&quot; 

&quot; Of that I make no doubt, but I rather distrust the pru 
dence of the step. That is, I declare, Mr. Monday, it looks 
awfully like tempting Providence ! I begin to have con 
scientious scruples. I hope you are quite certain, captain, 
there is nothing in all this against the laws of Africa ? Good 
moral and religious influences are not to be overlooked. My 
mind is quite exercised in the premises !&quot; 

&quot; You are much too conscientious for a diplomatic man,&quot; 
said Mr. Truck, between the puffs at a fresh cigar. &quot; You 
need not shoot any of the women, and what more does a 
man want 1 Come, no more words, but to the duty heartily. 
Every one expects it of you, since no one can do it half 
so well ; and if you ever get back to Dodgeopolis, there 
will be matter for a paragraph every day of the year for 
the next six months. If any thing serious happen to you, 
trust to me to do your memory justice.&quot; 

&quot; Captain, captain, this trifling, with the future is blas- 
ohemous ! Men seldom talk of death with impunity, and 


HOMEWARD 

it really hurts my feelings to touch on such awful subjects 
so lightly. I will go, for I do not well see how the matter 
is to be helped ; but let us go amicably/ and with such pre 
sents as will secure a good reception and a safe return.&quot; 

&quot; Mr. Monday takes the liquor-case of the Dane, and you 
are welcome to any thing that is left, but the foremast 
That I shall fight for, even if lions come out of the desert 
to help the Arabs.&quot; 

Mr. Dodge had many more objections, gome of which he 
urged openly, and more of which he felt in his inmost spirit. 
But for the unfortunate dive into the water, he certainly 
would have pleaded his immunities as a passenger, and 
plumply refused to be put forward on such an occasion ; but 
he felt that he was a disgraced man, and that some decided 
act of spirit was necessary to redeem his character. The 
neutrality observed by the Arabs, moreover, greatly en 
couraged him ; for he leaned to an opinion Captain Truck 
had expressed, that so long as a strong-armed party re 
mained in the wreck, the sheik, if a man of any moderation 
and policy, would not proceed to violence. 

&quot; You may tell him, gentlemen,&quot; continued Mr. Truck, 
&quot; that as soon as I have whipped the foremast out of the 
Dane, I will evacuate, and leave him the wreck, and all il 
contains. The stick can do him no good, and I want it in 
my heart s core. Put this matter before him plainly, and 
there is no doubt we shall part the best friends in the world. 
Remember one thing, however, we shall set about lifting the 
spar the moment you quit us, and should there be any signs 
of an attack, give us notice in season, that we may take to 
our arms.&quot; 

By this reasoning Mr. Dodge suffered himself to be per 
suaded to go on the mission, though his ingenuity and fears 
supplied an additional motive that he took very good care 
not to betray. Should there be a battle, he knew he would 
be expected to fight, if he remained with his own party, and 
if with the other, he might plausibly secrete himself until the 
affair was over; for, with a man of his temperament, 
eventual slavery had less horrors than immediate death. 

When Mr. Monday and his co-commissioner ascended the 
bank, bearing the case of liquors and a few light offerings, 
that the latter had found in the wreck, it was iust as the 
22 


54 HOMEWARD BOUND* 

crew, assured that the Arabs still remained tranquil, had 
seriously set about pursuing their great object. On the 
margin of the plain, Captain Truck took his leave of the 
ambassadors, though he remained some time to reconnoitre 
the appearance of things in the wild-looking camp, which 
was placed within two hundred yards of the spot on which 
he stood. The number of the Arabs had not certainly been 
exaggerated, and what gave him the most uneasiness was 
the fact that parties appeared to be constantly communi 
cating with more, who probably lay behind a ridge of sand 
that bounded the view less than a mile distant inland, as 
they all went and came in that direction. After waiting to 
see his two envoyes in the very camp, he stationed a look 
out on the bank, and returned to the wreck, to hurry on the 
all-important work. 

Mr. Monday was the efficient man of the two commis 
sioners, so soon as they were fairly embarked in their enter 
prise. He was strong of nerves, and without imagination to 
fancy dangers where they were riot very obvious, and had a 
great faith in the pacific virtues of the liquor-case. An 
Arab advanced to meet them, when near the tents ; and 
although conversation was quite out of the question, by pure 
force of gesticulations, aided by the single word &quot; sheik,&quot; 
they succeeded in obtaining an introduction to that personage. 

The inhabitants of the desert have been so often described 
that we shall assume they are known to our readers, and 
proceed- with our narrative the same as if we had to do with 
Christians. Much of what has been written of the hos 
pitality of the Arabs, if true of any portion of them, is hardly 
true of those tribes which frequent the Atlantic coast, where 
the practice of wrecking would seem to have produced the 
same effect on their habits and morals that it is known to 
produce elsewhere. But a ship protected by a few weather 
worn and stranded mariners, and a ship defended by a strong 
and an armed party, like that headed by Captain Truck, 
presented very different objects to the cupidity of these bar- 
barians. They knew the great advantage they possessed 
by being on their own ground, and were content to await 
events, in preference to risking a doubtful contest. Several 
of the party had been at Mogadore, and other parts, and had 
acquired tolerably accurate ideas of the power of vessels ; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 255 

and as they were confident the men now at work at the 
wreck had not the means of carrying away the cargo, their 
own principal object^ curiosity and caution, connected with 
certain plans that were already laid among their leaders, 
kept them quiet, for the moment at least. 

These people were not so ignorant as to require to be 
told that some other vessel was at no great distance, and 
their scouts had been out in all directions to ascertain the 
fact, previously to taking their ultimate measures ; for the 
sheik himself had some pretty just notions of the force of a 
vessel of war, and of the danger of contending with one. 
The result of his policy, therefore, will better appear in the 
course of the narrative. 

The reception of the two envoys of Captain Truck was 
masked by that smiling and courteous politeness which 
seems to diminish as one travels west, and to increase as 
he goes eastward ; though it was certainly less elaborate 
than would have been found in the palace of an Indian 
rajah. The sheik was not properly a sheik, nor was the 
party composed of genuine Arabs, though we have thus 
styled them from usage. The first, however, was a man in 
authority, and he and his followers possessed enough of the 
origin and characteristics of the tribes east of the Red Sea, 
to be sufficiently described by the appellation we have 
adopted. 

Mr. Monday and Mr. Dodge were invited by signs to be 
seated, and refreshments were offered. As the last were 
not particularly inviting, Mr. Monday was not slow in pro 
ducing his own offering, and in recommending its quality, 
by setting an example of the way in which it ought to be 
treated. Although Mussulmans, the hosts did not scruple 
about tasting the cup, and ten minutes of pantomime, pota 
tions, and grimaces, brought about a species of intimacy 
between the parties. 

The man who had been so unceremoniously captured 
the previous night by Captain Truck, was now introduced, 
and much curiosity was manifested to know whether his 
account of the disposition in the strangers to eat their fellow- 
creatures was true. The inhabitants of the desert, in the 
course of ages, had gleaned certain accounts of mariners 
eating their shipmates, from their different captives, and 


256 HOMEWARD 

vague traditions to that effect existed among them, which 
the tale of this man had revived. Had the sheik kept a 
journal, like Mr. Dodge, the result of these inquiries would 
probably have been some entries concerning the customs 
and characters of the Americans, that were quite as ori 
ginal as those of the editor of the Active Inquirer concern- 
ing the different nations he had visited. 

Mr. Monday paid great attention to the pantomime of 
the Arab, in which that worthy endeavoured to explain the 
disposition of Captain Truck to make a barbecue of him : 
when it was ended, he gravely informed his companions 
that the sheik had invited them to stay for dinner, a pro 
position that he was disposed to accept ; but the sensitive 
ness of Mr. Dodge viewed the matter otherwise, for, with a 
conformity of opinion that really said something in favour 
of the science of signs, he arrived at the same conclusion 
as the poor Arab himself with the material difference, 
that he fancied that the Arabs were disposed to make a 
meal of himself. Mr. Monday, who was a hearty beef and 
brandy personage, scouted the idea, and thought the matter 
settled, by pointing to two or three young camels and ask 
ing the editor if he thought any man, Turk or Christian, 
would think of eating one so lank, meagre, and uninviting, 
as himself, when they had so much capital food of another 
sort at their elbow. &quot; Take your share of the liquor while 
it is passing, man, and set your heart at ease as to the 
dinner, which I make no doubt will be substantial and 
decent. Had I known of the favour intended us, I should 
have brought out the sheik a service of knives and forks 
from Birmingham ; for he really seems a well-disposed and 
gentlernan-like man. A very capital fellow, I dare say, 
we shall find him, after he has had a few camel s steaks, 
and a proper allowance of schnaps. Mr. Sheik, I drink 
your health with all my heart.&quot; 

The accidents of life could scarcely have brought to 
gether, in circumstances so peculiar, men whose characters 
were more completely the converse of each other than Mr. 
Monday and Mr. Dodge. They were perfect epitomes of 
two large classes in their respective nations, and 90 diamet 
rically opposed to each other, that one could hardly recognise 
in them scions from a common stock. The first was dull, 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 3 .&amp;gt;7 

obstinate, straight- forward, hearty in his manners, and not 
without sincerity, though wily in a bargain, with ali his 
seeming frankness; the last, distrustful, cunning rather than 
quick of comprehension, insincere, fawning when he thought 
his interests concerned, and jealous and detracting ut all 
other times, with a coldness of exterior that had at least the 
merit of appearing to avoid deception. Both were violently 
prejudiced, though in Mr. Monday, it was the prejudice of 
old dogmas, in religion, politics, and morals; and in the 
other, it was the vice of provincialism, and an education that 
was not entirely free from the fanaticism of the seventeenth 
century. One consequence of this discrepancy of character 
was a perfectly opposite manner of viewing matters in this 
interview. While Mr. Monday was disposed to take things 
amicably, Mr. Dodge was all suspicion ; and had they then 
returned to the wreck, the last would have called to arms, 
while the first would have advised Captain Truck to go out 
and visit the sheik, in the manner one would visit a re 
spectable and agreeable neighbour. 


CHAPTER XX. 


Tis of more worth than kingdoms ! far more precious 
Than all the crimson treasures of life s fountain ! 
Oh let it not elude thy grasp! 

Cotton. 

THINGS were in this state, the sheik and his guests com- 
municating by signs, in such a way as completely to 
mystify each other; Mr. Monday drinking, Mr. Dodge con 
jecturing, and parties quitting the camp and arriving every 
ten minutes, when an Arab pointed eagerly with his finger 
in the direction of the wreck. The head of the foremast 
was slowly rising, and the look-out in the top was clinging 
to the spar, which began to cant, in order to keep himself 
from falling. The sheik affected to smile; but he was evi- 
dently disturbed, and two or three messengers were sent out 
22* 


258 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

into the camp. In the meanwhile, the spar began to lower, 
and was soon entirely concealed beneath the bank. 

It was now apparent that the Arabs thought the moment 
had arrived when it was their policy to interfere. The sheik, 
therefore, left his guests to be entertained by two or three 
others who had joined in the potations, and making the best 
assurances he could by means of signs, of his continued 
amity, he left the tent. Laying aside all his arms, attended 
by two or three old men like himself, he went boldly to the 
plank, and descended quietly to the sands, where he found 
Captain Truck busied in endeavouring to get the spar into 
the water. The top was already afloat, and the stick itself 
was cut round in the right position for rolling, when the foul 
but grave-looking barbarians appeared among the workmen. 
As the latter had been apprised of their approach, and of 
the fact of their being unarmed, no one left his employment 
to receive them, with the exception of Captain Truck him 
self. 

&quot; Bear a hand with the spar, Mr. Leach,&quot; he said, &quot; while 
I entertain these gentlemen. It is a good sign that they 
come to us without arms, and it shall never be said that we 
are behind them in civility. Half an hour will settle our 
affairs, when these gentry are welcome to what will be left 
of the Dane. Your servant, gentlemen; I m glad to see 
you, and beg the honour to shake hands with all of you, 
from the oldest to the youngest.&quot; 

Although the Arabs understood nothing that was said, 
they permitted Captain Truck to give each of them a hearty 
shake of the hand, smiling and muttering their own compli 
ments with as much apparent good will as was manifested 
by the old seaman himself. 

&quot; God help the Danes, if they have fallen into servitude 
among these blackguards !&quot; said the captain, aloud, while he 
was snaking the sheik a second time most cordially by the 
hand, &quot; for a fouler set of thieves I never laid eyes on, 
Leach. Mr. Monday has tried the virtue of the schnaps on 
them, notwithstanding, for the odour of gin is mingled with 
that of grease, about the old scoundrel. Roll away at the 
spar, boys ! half-a-dozen more such heaves, and you wil; 
have him in his native element, as the newspapers call it. 
fim glad to see you, gentlemen ; we are badly off as to 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 259 

chairs, on this beach, but to such as we have you are hear 
tily welcome. Mr. Leach, the Arab sheik; Arab sheik, 
Mr. Leach. On the bank there?&quot; 

Sir.&quot; 

&quot; Any movement among the Arabs ?&quot; 

&quot; About thirty have just ridden back into the desert, 
mounted on camels, sir ; nothing more.&quot; 

&quot; No signs of our passengers ?&quot; 

&quot; Ay, ay, sir. Here comes Mr. Dodge under full sail, 
heading for the bank, as straight as he can lay his course ! 

&quot;Ha! Is he pursued?&quot; 

The men ceased their work, and glanced aside at their 
arms. 

&quot; Not at all, sir. Mr. Monday is calling after him, and 
the Arabs seem to be laughing. Mr. Monday is just splic 
ing the main-brace with one of the rascals.&quot; 

&quot; Let the Atlantic ocean, then, look out for itself, for Mr. 
Dodge will be certain to run over it. Heave away, my 
hearties, and the stick will be afloat yet before that gentle 
man is fairly docked.&quot; 

The men worked with good will, but their zeal was far 
less efficient than that of the editor of the Active Inquirer, 
who now broke through the bushes, and plunged down the 
bank with a velocity which, if continued, would have car 
ried him to Dodgeopolis itself within the month. The Arabs 
started at this sudden apparition, but perceiving that those 
around them laughed, they were disposed to take the inter 
ruption in good part. The look-out now announced the ap 
proach of Mr. Monday, followed by fifty Arabs ; the latter, 
however, being without arms, and the former without his 
hat. The moment was critical, but the steadiness of Cap 
tain Truck did not desert him. Issuing a rapid order to the 
second mate, with a small party previously selected for that 
duty, to stand by the arms, he urged the rest of the people 
to renewed exertions. Just as this was done, Mr. Monday 
appeared on the bank, with a bottle in one hand and a glass 
in the other, calling aloud to Mr. Dodge to return and drink 
with the Arabs. 

&quot; Do not disgrace Christianity in this unmannerly way,&quot; 
he said ; &quot; but show these gentlemen of the desert that we 
know what propriety is. Captain Truck, I beg of you to 


260 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

urge Mr. Dodge to return. I was about to sing the Arabs 
God save the King, and in a few more minutes we should 
have had Rule Britannia, when we should have been the 
best friends and companions in the world. Captain Truck, 
I ve the honour to drink your health.&quot; 

But Captain Truck viewed the matter differently. Both 
his ambassadors were now safely back, for Mr. Monday 
came down upon the beach, followed, it is true, by all the 
Arabs, and the mast was afloat. He thought it better, 
therefore, that Mr. Dodge should remain, and that the two 
parties should be as quietly, but as speedily as possible, sepa 
rated. He ordered the hauling line to be fastened to the 
mast, and as the stick was slowly going out through the surf, 
he issued the order for the men to collect their implements, 
take their arms, and to assemble in a body at the rocks, 
where the jolly-boat still lay. 

&quot; Be quick, men, but be steady ; for there are a hundred 
of these rascals on the beach already, and all the last-comers 
are armed. We might pick up a few more useful things 
from the wreck, but the wind is coming in from the west 
ward, and our principal concern now will be to save what 
we have got. Lead Mr. Monday along with you, Leach, for 
he is so full of diplomacy and schnaps just now that he for 
gets his safety. As for Mr. Dodge, I see he is stowed away 
in the boat already, as snug as the ground-tier in a ship 
loaded with molasses. Count the men off, sir, and see that 
no one is missing.&quot; 

By this time, the state of things on the beach had under 
gone material changes. The wreck was full of Arabs, some 
of whom were armed and some not ; while mauls, crows, 
hand-spikes, purchases, coils of rigging, and marling-spikes 
were scattered about on the sands, just where they had been 
dropped by the seamen. A party of fifty Arabs had collected 
around the rocks, where, by this time, all the mariners 
were assembled, intermingling with the latter, and appa 
rently endeavouring to maintain the friendly relations which 
had been established by Mr. Monday. As a portion of 
these men were also armed, Captain Truck disliked their 
proceedings; but the inferiority of his numbers, and the 
disadvantage junder which he was placed, compelled him to 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 261 

resort to management rather than force, in order to extricate 
himself. 

The Arabs now crowded around and intermingled with 
the seamen, thronged the ship, and lined the bank, to the 
number of more than two hundred. It became evident that 
their true force had been underrated, and that additions 
were constantly making to it, from those who lay behind 
the ridges of sand. All those who appeared last, had arms 
of one kind or another, and several brought fire-arms, 
which they gave to the sheik, and to those who had first 
descended to the beach. Still, every face seemed amicable, 
and the men were scarcely permitted to execute their orders, 
from the frequent interruptions to exchange tokens of friend 
ship. 

But Captain Truck fully believed that hostilities were in 
tended, and although he had suffered himself in some mea 
sure to be surprised, he set about repairing his error with 
great judgment and admirable steadiness. His first step 
was to extricate his own people from those who pressed 
upon them, a thing that was effected by causing a few to 
take a position, that might be defended, higher among the 
rocks, as they afforded a good deal of cover, and which 
communicated directly with the place where they had 
landed ; and then ordering the remainder of the men to Ml 
back singly. To prevent an alarm, each man was called 
off by name, and in this manner the whole party had got 
within the prescribed limits, before the Arabs, who were vo 
ciferating and talking altogether, seemed to be aware of the 
movement. When some of the latter attempted to follow, 
they were gently repulsed by the sentinels. All this time 
Captain Truck maintained the utmost cordiality towards the 
sheik, keeping near him, and amongst the Arabs himself. 
The work of plunder, in the meantime, had begun in earnest 
in the wreck, and this he thought a favourable symptom, as 
men thus employed would be less likely to make a hostile 
attack. Still he knew that prisoners were of great account 
among these barbarians, and that an attempt to tow the raft 
off from the land, in open boats, where his people would be 
exposed to every shot from the wreck, would subject them to 
the greatest danger of defeat, were the former disposed to 
prevent it. 


262 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

Having reflected a few minutes on his situation, Captain 
Truck issued his final orders. The jolly-boat might carry 
a dozen men at need, though they would be crowded and 
much exposed to fire ; and he, therefore, caused eight to get 
into her, and to pull out to the launch. Mr. Leach went 
with this party, for the double purpose of directing its move 
ments, and of being separated from his commander, in 
order that one of those who were of so much importance 
to the packet, might at least stand a chance of being saved. 
This separation also was effected without alarming the 
Arabs, though Captain Truck observed that the sheik 
watched the proceeding narrowly. 

As soon as Mr. Leach had reached the launch, he caused 
a light kedge to be put into the jolly-boat, and coils of the 
lightest rigging he had were laid on the top of it, or were 
made on the bows of the launch. As soon as this was 
done, the boat was pulled a long distance off from the land, 
paying out the ropes first from the launch, and then from 
the boat itself, until no more of the latter remained. The 
kedge was then dropped, and the men in the launch began 
to haul in upon the ropes that were attached to it. As the 
jolly-boat returned immediately, and her crew joined in 
the work, the line of. boats, the kedge by which they had 
previously ridden having been first raised, began slowly to 
recede from the shore. 

Captain Truck had rightly conjectured the effect of this 
movement. It was so unusual and so gradual, that the 
launch and the raft were warped up to the kedge, before 
the Arabs fully comprehended its nature. The boats were 
now more than a quarter of a mile from the wreck, for Mr. 
Leach had run out quite two hundred fathoms of small 
rope, and of course, so distant as greatly to diminish the 
danger from the muskets of the Arabs, though still within 
reach of their range. Near an hour was passed in effect 
ing this point, which, as the sea and wind were both rising, 
could not probably have been effected in any other manner, 
half as soon, if at all. 

The state of the weather, and the increasing turbulence 
of the barbarians, now rendered it extremely desirable to 
all on the rocks to be in their boats again. A very mode 
rate blow would compel them to abandon their hard-earned 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 263 

advantages, and it began to be pretty evident, from the 
manners of those around them, that amity could not much 
longer be maintained. Even the old sheik retired, and, in 
stead of going to the wreck, he joined the party on the 
beach, where he was seen in earnest conversation with 
several other old men, all of whom gesticulated vehemently, 
as they pointed towards the boats and to the party on the 
rocks. 

Mr. Leach now pulled in towards the bar, with both the 
jolly-boats and the cutter, having only two oars each, half 
his men being left in the launch. This was done that the 
people might not be crowded at the critical moment, and 
that, at need, there might be room to fight as well as to row ; 
all these precautions having been taken in consequence of 
Captain Truck s previous orders. When the boats reached 
the rocks, the people did not hurry into them ; but a quarter 
of an hour was passed in preparations, as if they were in 
different about proceeding, and even then the jolly-boat 
alone took in a portion, and pulled leisurely without the 
bar. Here she lay on her oars, in order to cover the pas 
sage of the other boats, if necessary, with her fire. The 
cutter imitated this manoeuvre, and the boat of the wreck 
went last. Captain Truck quitted the rock after all the 
others, though his embarkation was made rapidly by a 
prompt and sudden movement. 

Not a shot was fired, however, and, contrary to his own 
most ardent hopes, the captain found himself at the launch, 
with all his people unhurt, and with all the spars he had so 
much desired to obtain. The forbearance of the Arabs 
was a mystery to him, for he had fully expected hostilities 
would commence, every moment, for the last two hours. 
Nor was he yet absolutely out of danger, though there was 
time to pause and look about him, and to take his succeed 
ing measures more deliberately. The first report was a 
scarcity of both food and water. For both these essentials 
the men had depended on the wreck, and, in the eagerness 
to secure the foremast, and subsequently to take care of 
themselves, these important requisites had been overlooked, 
quite probably, too, as much from a knowledge that the 
Montauk was so near, as from hurry. Still both were ex 
tremely desirable, if not indispensable, to men who had the 


264 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

prospect of many hours hard work before them ; and Cap 
tain Truck s first impulse was to despatch a boat to the 
ship for supplies. This intention was reluctantly aban 
doned, however, on account of the threatening appearance 
of the weather. 

There was no danger of a gale, but a smart sea breeze 
was beginning to set in, and the surface of the ocean was, 
as usual, getting to be agitated. Changing all his plans, 
therefore, the Captain turned his immediate attention to the 
safety of the all-important spars. 

&quot; We can eat to-morrow, men,&quot; he said ; &quot; but if we 
lose these sticks, our chance for getting any more will 
indeed be small. Take a gang on the raft, Mr. Leach, 
and double all the lashings, while I see that %ve get an 
offing. If the wind rises any more, we shall need it, and 
even then be worse off than we could wish.&quot; 

The mate passed upon the raft, and set about securing 
all the spars by additional fastenings ; for the working, 
occasioned by the sea, already rendered them loose, and 
liable to separate. While this was in train, the two jolly- 
boats took in lines and kedges, of which, luckily, they had 
one that was brought from the packet, besides two found in 
the wreck, and pulled off into the ocean. As soon as one 
kedge was dropped, that by which the launch rode wag 
tripped, and the boats were hauled up to it, the other jolly- 
boat proceeding on to renew the process. In this manner, 
in the course of two more hours, the whole, raft and all, 
were warped broad off from the land, and to windward, 
quite two miles, when the water became so deep that Cap 
tain Truck reluctantly gave the order to cease. 

&quot; I would gladly work our way into the offing in this 
mode, three or four leagues,&quot; he said, &quot; by which meam 
we might make a fair wind of it. As it is, we must get all 
clear, and do as well as we can. Rig the masts in the 
launch, Mr. Leach, and we will see what can be done with 
this dull craft we have in tow.&quot; 

While this order was in course of execution, the glass 
was used to ascertain the manner in which the Arabs were 
occupied. To the surprise of all in the boats, every soul 
of them had disappeared. The closest scrutiny could not 


HOMEWARD BOUND. *J65 

detect one near the wreck, on the beach, nor even at the 
spot where the tents had so lately stood. 

&quot; They are all off, by George !&quot; cried Captain Truck, 
when fully satisfied of the fact. &quot; Camels, tents, and Arabs ! 
The rascals have loaded their beasts already, and most 
probably have gone to hide their plunder, that they may be 
back and make sure of a second haul, before any of their 
precious brother vultures, up in the sands, get a scent 

of the carrion. D n the rogues ; I thought at one 

time- they had me in a category ! Well, joy be with them ! 
Mr. Monday, I return you my hearty thanks for the manly, 
frank, and diplomatic manner in which you have discharged 
the duties of your mission. Without you, we might not 
have succeeded in getting the foremast. Mr. Dodge, you 
have the high consolation of knowing that, throughout this 
trying occasion, you have conducted yourself in a way no 
other man of the party could have done.&quot; 

Mr. Monday was sleeping off the fumes of the schnaps, 
but Mr. Dodge bowed to the compliment, and foresaw many 
capital things for the journal, and for the columns of the 
Active Inquirer. He even began to meditate a book. 

Now commenced much the most laborious and critical 
part of the service that Captain Truck had undertaken, if 
we except the collision with the Arabs that of towing all 
the heavy spars of a large ship, in one raft, in the open sea, 
near a coast, and with the wind blowing on shore. It is true 
he was strong-handed, being able to put ten oars in the 
launch, and four in all the other boats ; but, after making 
sail, and pulling steadily for an hour, it was discovered that 
all their exertions would not enable them to reach the ship, 
if the wind stood, before the succeeding day. The drift to 
leeward, or towards the beach, was seriously great, every 
heave of the sea setting them bodily down before it ; and by 
the time they were half a mile to the southward, they were 
obliged to anchor, in order to keep clear of the breakers, 
which by this time extended fully a mile from shore. 

Decision was fortunately Captain Truck s leading quality. 
He foresaw the length and severity of the struggle that was 
before them, and the men had not been pulling ten minutes, 
before he ordered Mr. Leach, who was in the cutter, to cast 
off his line and to come alongside the launch. 
23 


266 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; Pull back to the wreck, sir,&quot; he said, &quot; and bring off all 
you can lay hands on, in the way of bread, water, and 
other comforts. We shall make a night of it, I see. We 
will keep a look-out for you, and if any Arabs heave in 
sight on the plain, a musket will be fired ; if so many as to 
render a hint to abscond necessary, two muskets will &quot;be 
fired, and the mainsail of the launch will be furled for two 
minutes ; more time than that we cannot spare you.&quot; 

Mr. Leach obeyed this order, and with great success. 
Luckily the cook had left the coppers full of food, enough 
to last twenty-four hours, and this had escaped the Arabs, 
who were ignorant where to look for it. In addition, there 
was plenty of bread and water, and &quot; a bull of Jamaica&quot; 
had been discovered, by the instinct of one of the hands, 
which served admirably to keep the people in good humour. 
This timely supply had arrived just as the launch anchored, 
and Mr. Truck welcomed it with all his heart ; for without 
it, he foresaw he should soon be obliged to abandon his 
precious prize. 

When the people were refreshed, the long and laborious 
process of warping off the land was resumed, and, in the 
course of two hours more, the raft was got fully a league 
into the offing, a shoal permitting the kedges to be used 
farther out this time than before. Then sail was again 
made, and the oars were once more plied. But the sea still 
proved their enemy, though they had struck the current 
which began to set them south. Had there been no wind 
and sea, the progress of the boats would now have been 
comparatively easy and quick; but these two adverse 
powers drove them in towards the beach so fast, that they 
had scarcely made two miles from the wreck when they 
were compelled a second time to anchor. 

No alternative remained but to keep warping off* in this 
manner, and then to profit by the offing they had made as 
well as they could, the result bringing them at sunset nearly 
up with the headland that shut out the view of their own 
vessel, from which Cap -ain Truck now calculated that he 
was distant a little less than two leagues.. The wind had 
freshened, and though it was not by any means so strong as 
to render the sea dangerous, it increased the toil of the men 
to such a degree, that he reluctantly determined to seek out 


HOMEWARD BOUND 267 

a proper anchorage, and to give his wearied people some 
rest. 

It was not in the power of the seamen to carry their raft 
Into any haven, for to the northward of the head-land, or on 
the side on which they were, there was no reef, nor any bay 
to afford them shelter. The coast was one continued wav 
ing line of sand-banks, and in most places, when there was 
a wind, the water broke at the distance of a mile from the 
beach ,* the precise spot where the Dane had stranded his 
vessel, having most probably been chosen for that purpose, 
with a view to saye the lives of the people. Under these 
circumstances nothing remained but to warp off again to a 
safe distance, and to secure the boats as well as they could 
for the night. This was effected by eight o clock, and Cap- 
tain Truck gave the order to let go two additional kedo-es, 
being determined not to strike adrift in the darkness, if it 
was in his power to prevent it. When this was done, the 
people had their suppers, a watch was set, and the remain 
der went to sleep. 

As the three passengers Had been exempted from the toil, 
they volunteered to look out for the safety of the boats until 
midnight, in order that the men might obtain as much rest 
as possible ; and half an hour after the crew were lost in the 
deep slumber of seamen, Captain Truck and these gentlemen 
were seated in the launch, holding a dialogue on the events 
of the day. 

&quot; You found the Arabs conversable and ready at the cup, 
Mr. Monday ?&quot; observed the captain, lighting a cigar, which 
with him was a never-failing sign for a gossip. &quot; Men that, 
if they had been sent to school young, taught to dance, and 
were otherwise civilized, might make reasonably good ship- 
mates, in this roving world of ours ?&quot; 

&quot; Upon my word, sir, I look upon the sheik as uncommon 
gentlemanlike, and altogether as a good fellow. He took 
his glass without any grimaces, smiled whenever he said any 
thing, though I could not understand a word he said, and 
answered all my remarks quite as civilly as if he spoke 
English. I must say, I think Mr. Dodge manifested a want 
of consideration in quitting his company with so little cere 
mony. The gentleman was hurt, I ll answer for it, and he 
would say as much if he could only make out to explain 


268 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

himself on the subject. Sir George, I regret we had not the 
honour of- your company on the occasion, for I have been 
told these Arabs have a proper respect for the nobility and 
gentry. Mr. Dodge and myself were but poor substitutes 
for a gentleman like yourself.&quot; 

The trained humility of Mr. Monday was little to the liking 
of Mr. Dodge, who by the sheer force of the workings of 
envy had so long been endeavouring to persuade others that 
he was the equal of any and every other man a delusion, 
however, in which he could not succeed in persuading him 
self to fall into and he was not slow in exhibiting the feel 
ing it awakened. 

&quot; Sir George Templemore has too just a sense of the rights 
of nations to make this distinction, Mr. Monday,&quot; he said. 
&quot; If I left the Arab sheik a little abruptly, it was because I 
disliked his ways ; for I take it Africa is a free country, ana 
that no man is obliged to remain longer in a tent than it suits 
his own convenience. Captain Truck knows that I was 
merely running down the beach to inform him that the sheik 
intended to follow, and he no doubt appreciates my motive.&quot; 

&quot; If not, Mr. Dodge,&quot; put in the captain, &quot; like other patriots, 
you must trust to posterity to do you justice. The joints and 
sinews are so differently constructed in different men, that 
one never knows exactly how to calculate on speed ; but this 
much I will make affidavit to, if you wish it, on reaching 
home, and that is, that a better messenger could not be found 
than Mr. Steadfast Dodge, for a man in a hurry. Sir 
George Templemore, we have had but a few of your 
opinions since you came out on this expedition, and I should 
be gratified to hear your sentiments concerning the Arabs, 
and any thing else that may suggest itself at the moment.&quot; 

&quot;Oh, captain! I think the wretches odiously dirty, and 
judging from appearances, I should say sadly deficient in 
comforts.&quot; 

&quot; In the way of breeches in particular; for 1 am inclined 
to think, Sir George, you are master of more than are to 
be found in their whole nation. Well, gentlemen, one must 
certainly travel who wishes to see the world; but for this 
sheer down here upon the coast of Africa, neither of us 
might have ever known how an Arab lives, and what a nim 
ble wrecker he makes. For my own part, if the choice lay 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 269 

between filling the office of Jemmy Ducks, on board the 
Montauk, and that of sheik in this tribe, I should, as we say 
in America, Mr. Dodge, leave it to the people, and do all in 
my power to obtain the first situation. Sir George, I m afraid 
all these county tongues, as Mr. Dodge calls them, in the 
way of wind and weather, will quite knock the buffalo hunt 
on the Prairies m the head, for this fall at least.&quot; 

&quot; I beg, Capte in Truck, you will not discredit my French 
in this way. I do not call a disappointment county tongues? 
but contra toms; the phrase probably coming from some 
person of the name of torn, who was contra, or opposed to 
every one else.&quot; 

&quot; Perfectly explained, and as clear as bilge-water. Sir 
George, has Mr. Dodge mentioned to you the manner in 
which these Arabs enjoy life? The gentlemen, by way of 
saving dish-water, eat half-a-dozen at a time out of the same 
plate. Quite republican, and altogether without pride, Mr. 
Dodge, in their notions !&quot; 

&quot; Why, sir, many of their habits struck me as being sim 
ple and praiseworthy, during the short time I remained in 
their country; and I dare say, one who had leisure to study 
them might find materials for admiration. I can readily 
imagine situations in which a man has no right to appro 
priate a whole dish to himself.&quot; 

&quot; No doubt, and he who wishes a thing so unreasonable 
must be a great hog ! What a thing is sleep ! Here are 
these fine fellows as much lost to their dangers and toils as 
if at home, and tucked in by their careful and pious mothers 
Little did the good souls who nursed them, and sung pious 
songs over their cradles, fancy the hardships they were 
bringing them up to ! But we never know our fates, or mise 
rable dogs most of us would be. Is it not so, Sir George?&quot; 

The baronet started at this appeal, which crossed the 
quaint mind of the captain as a cloud darkens a sunny view, 
and he muttered a hasty expression of hope that there was 
now no particular reason to expect any more serious ob 
stacles to their reaching the ship. 

&quot; It is not an easy thing to tow a heavy raft in light boats 
like these, exactly in the direction you wish it to go,&quot; re 
turned the captain, gaping. &quot; He who trusts to the winds and 
waves, trusts an uncertain friend, and one who may fail him 


270 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

at the very moment when there is most need of their services. 
Fair as things now seem, I would give a thousand dollars 
of a small stock, in which no single dollar has been lightly 
earned, to see these spars safely on board the Montauk, and 
snugly fitted to their proper places. Sticks, gentlemen, are 
to a ship what limbs are to a man. Without them she rolls 
and tumbles about as winds, currents, and seas will; while 
with them she walks, arid dances, and jumps Jim Crow; ay, 
almost talks. The standing rigging are the bones and 
gristle; the running gear the veins in which her life cir 
culates; and the blocks the joints.&quot; 

&quot; And which is the heart ?&quot; asked Sir George. 

&quot; Her heart is the master. With a sufficient commander 
no stout ship is ever lost, so long as she has a foot of water 
beneath her false keel, or a ropeyarn left to turn to account.&quot; 

&quot; And yet the Dane had all these.&quot; 

&quot; All but the water. The best craft that was ever launch 
ed, is of less use than a single camel, if laid high and dry 
on the sands of Africa. These poor wretches truly ! And 
yet their fate might have been ours, though I thought little 
of the risk while we were in the midst of the Arabs. It is 
still a mystery to me why they let us escape, especially as 
they so soon deserted the wreck. They were strong-handed, 
too ; counting all who came and went, I think not less than 
several hundreds.&quot; 

The captain now became silent and thoughtful, and, as 
the wind continued to rise, he began to feel uneasiness about 
his ship. Once or twice he expressed a half-formed deter 
mination to pull to her in one of the light boats, in order to 
look after her safety in person, and then he abandoned it, as 
he witnessed the rising of the sea, and the manner in which 
the massive raft caused the cordage by which it was held to 
strain. At length he too fell asleep, and we shall leave him 
and his party for awhile, and return to the Montauk, to give 
an account of what occurred on board that ship. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 271 


CHAPTER XXI. 


Nothing beside remains ! Round the decay 
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bdre. 
The lone and level sands stretch far away. 

SHELLEY 


As Captain Truck was so fully aware of the importance 
of rapid movements to the success of his enterprise, it will 
bo remembered that he left in the ship no seaman, no ser 
vant, except Saunders the steward, and, in short, no men but 
the two Messrs. Effingham, Mr. Sharp, Mr. Blunt, and the 
other person just mentioned. If to these be added, Eve 
Effingham, Mademoiselle Viefville, Ann Sidley, and a French 
femme de chambre, the whole party will be enumerated. At 
first, it had been the intention of the master to leave one of 
his mates behind him, but, encouraged by the secure berth 
he had found for his vessel, the great strength of his moor 
ings, the little hold the winds and waves could get of spars 
so robbed of their proportions, and of a hull so protected by 
the reef, and feeling a certain confidence in the knowledge 
of Mr. Blunt, who, several times during the passage, had 
betrayed a great familiarity with ships, he came to the deci 
sion named, and had formally placed the last named gentle 
man in full charge, ad interim, of the Montauk. 

There was a solemn and exciting interest in the situation 
of those who remained in the vessel, after the party of bust 
ling seamen had left them. The night came in bland and 
tranquil, and although there was no moon, they walked the 
deck for hours with strange sensations of enjoyment, mingled 
with those of loneliness and desertion. Mr. Effingham and 
his cousin retired to their rooms long before the others, who 
continued their exercise with a freedom and an absence of 
restraint, that they had not before felt, since subjected to the 
confinement of the ship. 

&quot; Our situation is at least novel,&quot; Eve observed, &quot; for a 
party of Parisians, Viennois, Romans, or by whatever name 
we may be properly styled.&quot; 


272 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; Say Swiss, then,&quot; returned Mr. Blunt ; &quot; for I believe 
that even the cosmopolite has a claim to choose his favourite 
residence. * 

Eve understood the allusion, which carried her back to 
the weeks they had passed in company, among the grand 
scenery of the Alps ; but she would not betray the con 
sciousness, for, whatever may be the ingenuousness of a 
female, she seldom loses her sensitiveness on the subject of 
her more cherished feelings. 

&quot; And do you prefer Switzerland to all the other coun 
tries of your acquaintance?&quot; asked Mr. Sharp: &quot;England 
I leave out of the question, for, though we, who belong to 
the island, see so many charms in it, it must be conceded 
that strangers seldom join us very heartily in its praises. 
I think most travellers would give the palm to Italy.&quot; 

&quot;I am quite of the same opinion,&quot; returned the other; 
&amp;lt; and were I to be confined to a choice of a residence for 
life, Italy should be my home. Still, I think, that we like 
change in our residence, as well as in the seasons. Italy 
is summer, and one, I fear, would weary of even an eterna! 
June.&quot; 

&quot; Is not Italy rather autumn, a country in which the 
harvest is gathered, and where one begins already to see 
the fall of the leaf!&quot; 

&quot; To me,&quot; said Eve, &quot;it would be an eternal summer ; as 
things are eterna-1 with young ladies. My ignorance would 
be always receiving instruction, and my tastes improve 
ment. But, if Italy be summer,, or autumn, what is poor 
America ?&quot; 

&quot; Spring of course,&quot; civilly answered Mr. Sharp. 

&quot; And, do you, Mr. Blunt, who seem to know all parts 
of the world equally well, agree in giving our country, my 
country at least, this encouraging title ?&quot; 

&quot;It is merited in many respects, though there are others 
in which the term winter would, perhaps, be better applied. 
America is a country not easily understood ; for, in some 
particulars, like Minerva, it has been born full-grown ; 
while, in others, it is certainly still an infant.&quot; 

&quot; In what particulars do you especially class it with the 
latter ?&quot; inquired Mr. Sharp. 

* In strength, to commence,&quot; answered the other, slightly 


MdMEWARD BOUND. 273 

smiling ; &quot; in opinions, too, and in tastes, and perhaps in 
knowledge. As to the latter essential, however, and prac 
tical things as well as in the commoner comforts, America 
may well claim to be in midsummer, when compared with 
other nations. I do not think you Americans, Miss Effing- 
ham, at the head of civilisation, certainly, as so many of 
your own people fancy ; nor yet at the bottom, as so many 
of those of Mademoiselle Viefville and Mr. Sharp so piously 
believe.&quot; 

&quot; And what are the notions of the countrymen of Mr. 
Blunt, on the subject?&quot; 

&quot; As far from the truth, perhaps, as any other. I per 
ceive there exist some doubts as to the place of my na 
tivity,&quot; he added, after a pause that denoted a hesitation, 
which all hoped was to end in his setting the matter at rest, 
by a simple statement of the fact ; &quot; and I believe I shall 
profit by the circumstance, to praise and condemn at plea 
sure, since no one can impeach my candour, or impute 
either to partialities or prejudices.&quot; 

&quot; That must depend on the justice of your judgments. 
In one thing, however, you will have me on your side, and 
that is in giving the pas to delicious, dreamy Italy ! Though 
Mademoiselle Viefville will set this down as lese majeste 
against cher Paris ; and I fear, Mr. Sharp will think even 
London injured.&quot; 

&quot; Do you really hold London so cheap?&quot; inquired the 
latter gentleman, with more interest than he himself was 
quite aware of betraying. 

&quot; Indeed, no. This would be to discredit my own tastes 
and knowledge. In a hundred things, I think London quite 
the finest town of Christendom. It is not Rome, certainly, 
and were it in ruins fifteen centuries, I question if people 
would flock to the banks of the Thames to dream away ex 
istence among its crumbling walls; but, in conveniences, 
beauty of verdure, a mixture of park-like scenery and archi 
tecture, and in magnificence of a certain sort, one would 
hardly know where to go to find the equal of London.&quot; 

&quot;You say nothing of its society, Miss Effingham?&quot; 

&quot; It would be presuming, in a girl of my limited experience 
to speak of this. I hear so much of the good sense of the 
nation, that I dare not say aught against its society, and it 


274 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

would be affectation for me to pretend to commend it , but 
as for your females, judging by my own poor means, they 
strike me as being singularly well cultivated and accom- 
plished ; and yet&quot; 

&quot; Go on, I entreat you. Recollect we have solemnly de 
cided in a general congress of states to be cosmopolites, until 
safe within Sandy Hook, and that la franchise is the mot 
d ordre.&quot; 

&quot; Well, then, I should not certainly describe you English 
as a talking people,&quot; continued Eve, laughing. &quot;In the 
way of society, you are quite as agreeable as a people, who 
never laugh and seldom speak, can possibly make them 
selves.&quot; 

&quot; Et les jeunes Americaines 7&quot; said Mademoiselle Vief- 
ville, laconically. 

&quot; My dear mademoiselle, your question is terrific ! Mr. 
Blunt has informed me that they actually giggle !&quot; 

&quot; Quelle horreur /&quot; 

&quot; It is bad enough, certainly ; but I ascribe the report to 
calumny. No ; if I must speak, let me have Paris for its 
society, and Naples for its nature. As respects New Yoik, 
Mr. Blunt, I suspend my judgment.&quot; 

&quot; Whatever may be the particular merit which shall most 
attract your admiration in favour of the great emporium, as 
the grandiloquent writers term the capital of your own state, 
I think I can venture to predict it will be neither of those 
just mentioned. Of society, indeed, New York has posi 
tively none : like London, it has plenty of company, which 
is disciplined something like a regiment of militia composed 
of drafts from different brigades, and which sometimes mis 
takes the drum-major for the colonel.&quot; 

&quot; I had fancied you a New Yorker, until now,&quot; observed 
Mr. Sharp. 

&quot; And why not now ? Is a man to be blind to facts as 
evident as the noon- day sun, because he was born here or 
there 1 If I have told you an unpleasant truth, Miss Effing- 
ham, you must accuse la franchise of the offence. I believe 
you are not a Manhattanese ?&quot; 

&quot; I am a mountaineer ; having been born at my father s 
country residence. 1 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 275 

** This gives me courage then, for no one here will have his 
filial piety shocked,&quot; 

&quot; Not even yourself?&quot; 

&quot; As for myself,&quot; returned Paul Blunt, &quot; it is settled I 
am a cosmopolite in fact, while you are only a cosmopolite 
by convention. Indeed, I question if I might take the same 
liberties with either Paris or London, that I am about to take 
with palmy Manhattan. I should have little confidence in 
the forbearance af my auditors : Mademoiselle Viefville 
would hardly forgive me : were I to attempt a criticism on 
the first, for instance.&quot; 

&quot; C est impossible ! you could not, Monsieur Blunt ; vous 
parlez trop bien Francais not to love Paris.&quot; 

&quot; I do love Paris, mademoiselle ; and, what is more, I love 
Londres, or even la Nouvelle Yorck. As a cosmopolite, I 
claim this privilege, at least, though I can see defects in all. 
If you will recollect, Miss Effingham, that New York is a 
social bivouac, a place in which families encamp instead of 
troops, you will see the impossibility of its possessing a 
graceful, well-ordered, and cultivated society. Then the 
town is commercial ; and no place of mere commerce can 
well have a reputation for its society. Such an anomaly, I 
believe, never existed. Whatever may be the usefulness of 
trade, I fancy few will contend that it is very graceful.&quot; 

&quot; Florence of old ?&quot; said Eve. 

&quot; Florence and her commerce were peculiar, and the 
relations of things change with circumstances. When 
Florence was great, trade was a monopoly, in a few hands, 
and so conducted as to remove the principals from immedi 
ate contact with its affairs. The Medici traded in spices and 
silks, as men traded in politics, through agents. They pro 
bably never saw their ships, or had any farther connexion 
with their commerce, than to direct its spirit. They were 
more like the legislator who enacts laws to regulate trade, 
than the dealer who fingers a sample, smells at a wine, 01 
nibbles a grain. The Medici were merchants, a class of 
men altogether different from the mere factors, who buy of 
one to sell to another, at a stated advance in price, and all 
of whose enterprise consists in extending the list of safe 
customers, and of doing what is called a * regular business. 
Monopolies do harm on the whole, but they certainly elevate 


276 HOMEWARD BOUffD, 

the favoured few. The Medici and the Strozzi were, both 
princes and merchants, while those around them were prin 
cipally dependants. Competition, in our day, has let in 
thousands to share in the benefits ; and the pursuit, while it 
is enlarged as a whole, has suffered in its parts by division.&quot; 

&quot; You surely do not complain that a thousand are com 
fortable and respectable to-day, for one that was il magni- 
fico three hundred years since 1&quot; 

&quot; Certainly not. I rejoice in the change ; but we must 
not confound names with things. If we have a thousand 
mere factors for one merchant, society, in the general signi 
fication of the word, is clearly a gainer ; but if we had one 
Medici for a thousand factors, society, in its particular signi 
fication, might also be a gainer. All I mean is, that, in 
lowering the pursuit, we have necessarily lowered its quali 
fications ; in other words, every man in trade in New York, 
is no more a Lorenzo, than every printer s devil is a 
Franklin.&quot; 

&quot; Mr. Blunt cannot be an American !&quot; cried Mr. Sharp ; 
&quot; for these opinions would be heresy.&quot; 

&quot; Jamaisj jamais&quot; joined the governess. 

&quot; You constantly forget the treaty of cosmopolitism. Bui 
a capital error is abroad concerning America on this very 
subject of commerce. In the way of merchandise alone, 
there is not a Christian maritime nation of any extent, that 
has a smaller portion of its population engaged in trade of 
this sort than the United States of America. The nation, as 
a nation, is agricultural, though the state of transition, in 
which a country in the course of rapid settlement must 
always exist, causes more buying and selling of real pro 
perty than is usual. Apart from this peculiarity, the Ameri 
cans, as a whole people, have not the common European 
proportions of ordinary dealers.&quot; 

&quot; This is not the prevalent opinion,&quot; said Mr. Sharp. 

&quot; It is not, and the reason is, that all American towns, 01 
nearly all that are at all known in other countries, are 
purely commercial towns. The trading portion of a com 
munity is always the concentrated portion, too, and of 
course, in the absence of a court, of a political, or of a 
social capital, it has the greatest power to make itself heard 
and felt, until there is a direct appeal to the other classes. 


HOMEWARD BOUHrU, 277 


The elections commonly show quite as little sympathy 
between the majority and the commercial class as is con 
sistent with the public welfare. In point of fact, America 
has but a very small class of real merchants, men who are 
the cause and not a consequence of commerce, though she 
has exceeding activity in the way of ordinary traffic. The 
portion of her people who are engaged as factors, for this 
is the true calling of the man who is a regular agent 
between the common producer and the common consumer, 
are of a high class as factors, but not of the high class of 
merchants. The man who orders a piece of silk to be 
manufactured at Lyons, at three francs a yard, to sell it in 
the regular course of the season to the retailer at three 
francs and a half, is no more a true merchant, than the 
attorney, who goes through the prescribed forms of the 
court in his pleadings, is a barrister.&quot; 

&quot; I do not think these sentiments will be very popular at 
home, as Mr. Dodge says,&quot; Eve laughingly remarked ; 
&quot;but when shall we reach that home! While we are 
talking of these things, here are we, in an almost deserted 
ship, within a mile of the great Desert of Sahara ! How 
beautiful are the stars, mademoiselle ! we have never before 
seen a vault so studded with brilliants.&quot; 

&quot; That must be owing to the latitude,&quot; Mr. Sharp ob 
served. 

&quot; Certainly. Can any one say in what latitude we are 
precisely ?&quot; As Eve asked this question, she unconsciously 
turned towards Mr. Blunt ; for the whole party had silently 
come to the conclusion that he knew more of ships and 
navigation than all of them united. 

&quot;I believe we are not far from twenty-four, which is 
bringing us near the tropics, and places us quite sixteen 
degrees to the southward of our port. These two affairs 
of the chase and of the gale have driven us fully twelve 
hundred miles from the course we ought to have taken.&quot; 

&quot; Fortunately, mademoiselle, there are none to feel ap 
prehensions on our account, or, none whose interest will be 
so keen as to create a very lively distress. I hope, gentle 
men, you are equally at ease on this score?&quot; 

This was the first time Eve had ever trusted herself to 
out an interrogatory that might draw from Paul Blunt any 
24 


878 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

communication that would directly touch upon his connex- 
ions. She repented of the speech as soon as made, but 
causelessly, as it drew from the young man no answer. 
Mr. Sharp observed that his friends in England could 
scarcely know of their situation, until his own letters would 
arrive to relieve their minds. As for Mademoiselle Vief- 
ville, the hard fortune which reduced her to the office of a 
governess, had almost left her without natural ties. 

&quot; I believe we are to have watch and ward to-night,&quot; 
resumed Eve, after the general pause had continued some 
little time. &quot; Is it not possible for the elements to put us 
in the same predicament as that in which we found the 
poor Dane ?&quot; 

&quot; Possible, certainly, but scarcely probable,&quot; returned 
Mr. Blunt. &quot; The ship is well moored, and this narrow 
ledge of rocks, between us and the ocean, serves admirably 
for a break- water. One would not Ifke to be stranded, 
helpless as we are, at this moment, on a coast like this !&quot; 

&quot; Why so particularly helpless ? You allude to the 
absence of our crew ?&quot; 

&quot; To that, and to the fact that, I believe, we could not 
muster as much as a pocket-pistol to defend ourselves 
with, everything in the shape of fire-arms having been 
sent with the party in the boats.&quot; 

&quot; Might we not lie on the beach, here, for days, even 
weeks,&quot; inquired Mr. Sharp, &quot; without being discovered by 
the Arabs ?&quot; 

&quot; I fear not. Mariners have told me that the barbarians 
hover along the shores, especially after gales, in the hope 
of meeting with wrecks, and that it is surprising how soon 
they gain intelligence of any disaster. It is seldom there is 
even an opportunity to escape in a boat.&quot; 

&quot; I hope here, at least, we are safe ?&quot; cried Eve, in a 
little terror, and shuddering, as much in playfulness as in 
real alarm. 

&quot; I see no grounds of concern where we are, so long as 
we can keep the ship off the shore. The Arabs have no 
boats, and if they had, they would not dare to attack a ves 
sel that floated, in one, unless aware of her being as truly 
helpless as we happen at this moment to be.&quot; 

&quot; This is a chilling consolation, but I shall trust in your 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 279 

good care, gentlemen. Mademoiselle, it is drawing near 
midnight, I believe.&quot; 

Eve and her companion tben courteously wished the two 
young men good night, and retired to their state-rooms ; Mr. 
Sharp remained an hour longer with Mr. Blunt, who had un 
dertaken to watch the first few hours, conversing with a light 
heart, and gaily ; for, though there was a secret conscious 
ness of rivalry between these two young men on the subject 
of Eve s favour, it was a generous and manly competition, 
in which each did the other ample justice. They talked of 
their travels, their views of customs and nations, their ad 
ventures in different countries, and of the pleasure each had 
felt in visiting spots renowned by association or the arts ; 
but not a word was hazarded by either concerning the young 
creature who had just left them, and whom each still saw 
in his mind s eye, long after her light and graceful form had 
disappeared. At length Mr. Sharp went below, his compa 
nion insisting on being left alone, under the penalty of re 
maining up himself during the second watch. From this 
time, for several hours, there was no other noise in the ship 
than the tread of the solitary watchman. At the appointed 
period of the night, a change took place, and he who had 
watched, slept; while he who had slept, watched. Just as 
day dawned, however, Paul Blunt, who was in a deep sleep, 
felt a shake at his shoulder. 

&quot; Pardon me,&quot; cautiously whispered Mr. Sharp : &quot; I fear 
we are about to have a most unpleasant interruption to our 
solitude.&quot; 

&quot; Heavenly powers ! Not the Arabs ?&quot; 

&quot; I fear no less : but it is still too dark to be certain of the 
fact. If you will rise, we can consult on the situation in 
which we are placed. I beg you to be quick.&quot; 

Paul Blunt had hastily risen on an arm, and he now 
passed a hand over his brow, as if to make certain that he 
was awake. He had not undressed himself, and in ano 
ther moment he stood on his feet in the middle of the state 
room. 

&quot; This is too serious to allow of mistake. We will not 
alarm her, then ; we will not give any alarm, sir, until cer 
tain of the calamity.&quot; 

&quot; In that I entirely agree with you,&quot; returned Mr. Sharp, 


280 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

who was perfectly cairn, though evident!) distressed. **1 
may be mistaken, and wish your opinion. All on board hut 
us two are in a profound sleep,&quot; 

The other drew on his coat, and in a minute both were 
on deck. The day had not yet dawned, and the light was 
scarce sufficient to distinguish objects even near as those on 
the reef, particularly when they were stationary. The rocks, 
themselves, however, were visible in places, for the tide was 
out, and most of the upper portion of the ledge was bare. 
The two gentlemen moved cautiously to the bows of the 
vessel, and, concealed by the bulwarks, Mr. Sharp pointed 
out to his companion the objects that had given him the 
alarm. 

&quot; Do you see the pointed rock a little to the right of the 
spot where the kedge is placed ?&quot; he said, pointing in the 
direction that he meant. &quot; It is now naked, and I am quite 
certain there was an object on it, when I went below, that 
has since moved away.&quot; 

* ; It may have been a sea-bird ; for we are so neai 
the day, some of them are probably in motion. Was it 
large?&quot; 

&quot; Of the size of a man s head, apparently ; but this is by 
no means all. Here, farther to the north, I distinguished 
three objects in motion, wading in the water, near the point 
where the rocks are never bare.&quot; 

&quot; They may have been herons ; the bird is often found ID 
these low latitudes, I believe. I can discover nothing.&quot; 

&quot;I would to God, I may have been mistaken, though I do 
not think I could be so much deceived.&quot; 

Paul Blunt caught his arm, and held it like one who lis 
tened intently. 

&quot; Heard you that?&quot; he whispered hurriedly. 

&quot; It sounded like the clanking of iron.&quot; 

Looking around, the other found a handspike, and passing 
swiftly up the heel of the bowsprit, he stood between the 
knight-heads. Here he bent forward, and looked intently 
towards the lines of chains which lay over the bulwarks, as 
bow-fasts. Of these chains the parts led quite near each 
other, in parallel lines, and as the ship s moorings were taut, 
they were hanging in merely a slight curve. From the rocks, 
or the place where the kedges were laid to a point within 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 281 

thirty feet of the ship, these chains were dotted with living 
beings crawling cautiously upward. It was even easy, at a 
second look, to perceive that they were men stealthily ad 
vancing on their hands and feet. 

Raising the handspike, Mr. Blunt struck the chains seve 
ral violent blows. The effect was to cause the whole of the 
Arabs for it could be no others suddenly to cease advanc 
ing, and to seat themselves astride the chains. 

&quot;This is fearful,&quot; said Mr. Sharp; &quot;but we must die, 
rather than permit them to reach the ship.&quot; 

&quot; We must. Stand you here, and if they advance, strike 
the chains. There is not an instant to lose.&quot; 

Paul Blunt spoke hurriedly, and, giving the other the 
handspike, he ran down to the bitts, and commenced loosen 
ing the chains from their fastenings. The Arabs heard the 
clanking of the iron-rings, as he threw coil after coil on the 
deck, and they did not advance. Presently two parts yielded 
together beneath them, and then two more. These were the 
signals for a common retreat, and Mr. Sharp now plainly 
counted fifteen human forms as they scrambled back towards 
the reef, some hanging by their arms, some half in the wa 
ter, and others lying along the chains, as best they might. 
Mr. Blunt having loosened the chains, so as to let their bights 
fall into the sea, the ship slowly drifted astern, and rode by 
her cables. When this was done, the two young men stood 
together in silence on the forecastle, as if each felt that all 
which had just occurred was some illusion. 

&quot; This is indeed terrible,&quot; exclaimed Paul Blunt. &quot; We 
have not even a pistol left ! No means of defence nothing 
but this narrow belt of water between us and these barba 
rians ! No doubt, too, they have fire-arms ; and, as soon as 
t is light, they will render it unsafe to remain on deck.&quot; 

Mr. Sharp took the hand of his companion and pressed it 
fervently. &quot;God bless you!&quot; he said in a stifled voice. 
&quot; God bless you, for even this brief delay. But for this 
happy thought of yours, Miss Effingham the others we 
should all have been, by this time, at the mercy of these 
remorseless wretches. This is not a moment for false pride 
or pitiful deceptions. I think either of us would willingly 
die to rescue that beautiful and innocent creature from a fate 
like this which threatens her in common with ourselves T* 
24* 


282 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; Cheerfully would I lay down my life to be assured that 
she was, at this instant, safe in a civilized and Christian 
country.&quot; 

These generous young men squeezed each other s hands, 
and at that moment no feeling of rivalry, or of competition 
even, entered the heart of either. Both were influenced by 
a pure and ardent desire to serve the woman they loved, and 
it would be true to say, that scarce a thought of any but Eve 
was uppermost in their minds. Indeed so engrossing was 
their common care in her behalf, so much more terrible than 
that of any other person did her fate appear on being cap 
tured, that they forgot, for the moment, there were others in 
the ship, and others, too, who might be serviceable in arrest 
ing the very calamity they dreaded. 

&quot; They may not be a strong party,&quot; said Paul Blunt, 
after a little thought, &quot; in which case, failing of a surprise, 
they may not be able to muster a force sufficient to hazard 
an open attack until the return of the boats. We have, 
God be praised ! escaped being seized in our sleep, and 
made unconscious victims of so cruel a fate. Fifteen or 
twenty will scarcely dare attempt a ship of this size, with 
out a perfect knowledge of our feebleness, and particularly 
of our want of arms. There is a light gun on board, nnd 
it is loaded ; with this, too, we may hold them at bay, by 
not betraying our weakness. Let us awake the others, for 
this is not a moment for sleep. We are safe, at least, for 
an hour or two ; since, without boats, they cannot possibly 
find the means to board us in less than that time.&quot; 

The two young men went below, unconsciously treading 
lightly, like those who moved about in the presence of an 
impending danger. Paul Blunt was in advance, and to his 
great surprise he met Eve at the door of the ladies cabin, 
apparently awaiting their approach. She was dressed, for 
apprehension, and the novelty of their situation, had caused 
her to sleep in most of her clothes, and a few moments had 
sufficed for a hasty adjustment of the toilet. Miss Effing- 
ham was pale, but a concentration of all her energies 
seemed to prevent the exhibition of any womanly terror. 

&quot; Something is wrong !&quot; she said, trembling in spite of 
herself, and laying her hand unwittingly on the arm of 
Paul Blunt: &quot; I heard the heavy fall of iron on the deck.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 283 

&quot; Compose yourself, dearest Miss Effingham, compose 
yourself, I entreat you. I mean, that we have come to 
awaken the gentlemen.&quot; 

&quot; Tell me the worst, Powis, I implore you. I am equal, 
I think I am equal, to hearing it.&quot; 

&quot; I fear your imagination has exaggerated the danger.&quot; 

&quot;The coast?&quot; 

&quot; Of that there is no cause for apprehension. The sea 
is calm, and our fasts are perfectly good.&quot; 

&quot; The boats ?&quot; 

&quot;Will doubtless be back in good time.&quot; 

&quot; Surely surely,&quot; said Eve, recoiling a step, as if sho 
saw a monster, &quot; not the Arabs ?&quot; 

&quot; They cannot enter the ship, though a few of them are 
hovering about us. But for the vigilance of Mr. Sharp, 
indeed, we might have all been captured in our sleep. As 
it is, we have warning, and there is now little doubt of our 
being able to intimidate the few barbarians who have shown 
themselves, until Captain Truck shall return.&quot; 

&quot; Then from my soul, I thank you, Sir George Temple- 
more, and for this good office will you receive the thanks 
of a father, and the prayers of all whom you have so sig 
nally served.&quot; 

&quot; Nay, Miss Effingham, although I find this interest in 
me so grateful that I have hardly the heart to lessen your 
gratitude, truth compels me to give it a juster direction. 
But for the promptitude of Mr. Blunt or as I now find I 
ought to address him, Mr. Powis we should truly have all 
been lost.&quot; 

&quot; We will not dispute about your merits, gentlemen. 
You have both deserved our most heartfelt thanks, and if 
you will awaken my father and Mr. John Effingham, I will 
arouse Mademoiselle Viefville and my own women. Surely, 
surely, this is no time to sleep !&quot; 

The summons was given at the state-room doors, and 
the two young men returned to the deck, for they felt it was 
not safe to leave it long at such a moment. All was quite 
tranquil above, however, nor could the utmost scrutiny now 
detect the presence of any person on the reef. 

&quot; The rocks are cut off* from the shore, farther to the 
southward by deeper water,&quot; said Paul Blunt for we shall 


284 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

continue to call both gentlemen, except on particular occa 
sions, by their noms de guerre &quot; and when the tide is up 
the place cannot be forded. Of this the Arabs are proba 
bly aware; and having failed in their first attempt, they 
will probably retire to the beach as the water is rising, for 
they might not like to be left on the riband of rock that 
will remain in face of the force that would be likely to be 
found in such a vessel.&quot; 

&quot; May they not fee acquainted with the absence of most 
of our people, and be bent upon seizing the vessel before 
they can return?&quot; 

&quot; That indeed is the gloomy side of the conjecture, and 
it may possibly be too true ; but as the day is beginning to 
break, we shall soon learn the worst, and anything i-s 
better than vague distrust.&quot; 

For some time the two gentlemen paced the quarter-deck 
together in silence. Mr. Sharp was the first to speak. 

&quot;The emotions natural to such an alarm,&quot; he said, 
&quot; have caused Miss Effingham to betray an incognito of 
mine, that I fear you find sufficiently absurd. It was quite 
accidental, I do assure you; as much so, perhaps, as it 
was motiveless.&quot; 

&quot; Except as you might distrust American democracy,&quot; 
returned Paul, smiling, &quot; and feel disposed to propitiate it 
by a temporary sacrifice of rank and title.&quot; 

&quot; I declare you do me injustice. My man, whose name 
is Sharp, had taken the state-room, and, finding myself 
addressed by his appellation, I had the weakness to adopt 
it, under the impression it might be convenient in a packet. 
Had I anticipated, in the least, meeting with the Effing- 
hams, I should not have been guilty of the folly, for Mr. 
and Miss Effingham are old acquaintances.&quot; 

&quot; While you are thus apologising for a venial offence, 
you forget it is to a man guilty of the same error. I knew 
your person, from having seen you on the Continent ; and 
finding you disposed to go by the homely name of Sharp, 
in a moment of thoughtlessness, I took its counterpart, 
Blunt. A travelling name is sometimes convenient, though 
sooner or later I fancy all deceptions bring with them their 
own punishments.&quot; 

&quot; It is certain that falsehood requires to be supported by 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 285 

falsehood. Having commenced in untruth, would it not be 
expedient to persevere until we reach America 1 I, at least, 
cannot now assert a right to my proper name, without 
deposing an usurper !&quot; 

&quot; It will be expedient for you, certainly, if it be only to 
escape the homage of that double-distilled democrat, Mr. 
Dodge. As for myself, few care enough about me to 
render it a matter of moment how I am styled ; though, on 
the whole, I should prefer to let things stand as they are, 
for reasons I cannot well explain.&quot; 

No more was said on the subject, though both under 
stood that the old appellations were to be temporarily 
continued. Just as this brief dialogue ended, the rest of 
the party appeared on deck. All preserved a forced calm 
ness, though the pa4eness of the ladies betrayed the intense 
anxiety they felt. Eve struggled with her fears on account 
of her father, who had trembled so violently, when the 
truth was first told him, as to be quite unmanned, but who 
now comported himself with dignity, though oppressed with 
apprehension almost to anguish. John Effingham was 
stern, and in the bitterness of his first sensations he had 
muttered a few imprecations on his own folly, in suffering 
himself to be thus caught without arms. Once the terri- 
ble idea of the necessity of sacrificing Eve, in the last 
resort, as an expedient preferable to captivity, had flashed 
across his mind ; but the real tenderness he felt for her, 
and his better nature, soon banished the unnatural thought. 
Still, when he joined the party on deck, it was with a 
general but vague impression, that the moment was at 
hand when circumstances had required that they were all 
to die together. No one was more seemingly collected 
than Mademoiselle Viefville. Her life had been one of 
sacrifices, and she had now made up her mind that it was 
to pass away in a scene of violence ; and, with a species of 
heroism that is national, her feelings had been aroused to 
a sort of Roman firmness, and she was prepared to meet 
her fate with a composure equal to that of the men. 

These were the first feelings and impressions of those who 
had been awakened from the security of the night, to hear 
the tale of their danger ; but they lessened as the party col 
lected in the open air, and began to examine into their situa- 


286 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

lion by means of the steadily increasing light. As the day 
advanced, Paul Blunt, in particular, carefully examined the 
rocks near the ship, even ascending to the foretop, from 
which elevation he ovei looked the whole line of the reef; and 
something like hope revived in every bosom, when he pro 
claimed the joyful intelligence that nothing having life was 
visible in that direction. 

&quot;God be praised!&quot; he said with fervour, as his foot 
touched the deck again on descending ; &quot; we have at least a 
respite from the attacks of these barbarians. The tide has 
risen so high that they dare not stay on the rocks, lest they 
might be cut off; for they probably think us stronger than 
we are, and armed. The light gun on the forecastle is 
loaded, gentlemen, though not shotted ; for there are no shot 
in the vessel, Saunders tells me ; and I would suggest the 
propriety of firing it, both to alarm the Arabs, and as a 
signal to our friends. The distance from the wreck is not 
so great but it might be heard, and I think they would at 
least send a boat to our relief. Sound flies fast, and a short 
time may bring us succour. The water will not be low 
enough for our enemies to venture on the reef again, under 
six or eight hours, and all may yet be well.&quot; 

This proposal was discussed, and it proving, on inquiry, 
that all the powder in the ship, after loading the gun for this 
very purpose of firing a signal, had been taken in the boats, 
and that no second discharge could be made, it was decided 
to lose no more time, but to let their danger be known to 
their friends at once, if it were possible to send the sound so 
far. When this decision was come to, Mr. Blunt, aided by 
Mr. Sharp, made the necessary preparations without delay. 
The latter, though doing all he could to assist, envied the 
readiness, practical skill and intelligence, with which his 
companion, a man of cultivated and polished mind in higher 
things, performed every requisite act that was necessary to 
effect their purpose. Instead of hastily discharging the piece, 
an iron four-pound gun, Mr. Blunt first doubled the wad, 
which he drove home with all his force, and then he greased 
the muzzle, as he said, to increase the report 

&quot; I shall not attempt to explain the philosophy of this,&quot; 
he added with a mournful smile, &quot; but all lovers of salutes 
and salvos will maintain that it is useful ; and be it so or 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 287 

not, too much depends on our making ourselves heard, to 
neglect any thing that has even a chance of aiding that one 
great object. If you will now assist me, Sir George, we 
will run the gun over to starboard, in order that it may be 
fired on the side next the wreck.&quot; 

&quot; Judging from the readiness you have shown on several 
occasions, as well as your familiarity with the terms, I should 
think you had served,&quot; returned the real baronet, as he 
helped his companion to place the gun at a port on the 
northern side of the vessel. 

&quot; You have not mistaken my trade. I was certainly bred, 
almost born, a seaman ; and though as a traveller I have 
now been many years severed from my early habits, little 
of what I knew has been lost. Were there five others here, 
who had as much familiarity as myself with vessels, I think 
we could carry the ship outside the reef, crippled as she is, 
and set the Arabs at defiance. Would to God our worthy 
captain had never brought her inside.&quot; 

&quot; He did all for the best, no doubt?&quot; 

&quot; Beyond a question ; and no more than a commendable 
prudence required. Still he has left us in a most critical po 
sition. This priming is a little damp, and I distrust it. The 
coal, if you please.&quot; 

&quot; Why do you not fire?&quot; 

&quot; At the last moment, I almost repent of my own ex 
pedient. Is it quite certain no pistols remain amono- any of 
our effects?&quot; 

&quot; I fear not. Saunders reports that all, even to those of 
the smallest size, were put in requisition for the boats.&quot; 

&quot; The charge in this gun might serve for many pistols, or 
for several fowling-pieces. I might even sweep the reef, on 
an emergency, by using old iron for shot! It appears like 
parting with a last friend, to part with this single precious 
charge of gunpowder.&quot; 

&quot;Nay, you certainly know best; though I rather think 
the Messrs. Effingham are of your first opinion.&quot; 

&quot;It is puerile to waver on such a subject, and I will 
hesitate no longer. There are moments when the air seems 
to float in the direction of our friends ; on the first return of 
one of those currents, I will fire.&quot; 

A minute brought the opportunity, and Paul Blunt, or Paul 


288 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

Powis, as his real name would now appear to be, applied the 
coal. The report was sharp and lively; but as the smoke 
floated away, he again expressed his doubts of the wisdom 
of what had just been done. Had he then known that the 
struggling sounds had diffused themselves in their radii, 
without reaching the wreck, his regrets would have been 
increased fourfold. This was a fact, however, that could 
not be then ascertained, and those in the packet were com 
pelled to wait two or three hours before they even got the 
certainty of their failure. 

As the light increased a view was obtained of the shore, 
which seemed as silent and deserted as the reef. For half 
an hour the whole party experienced the revulsion of feeling 
that accompanies all great changes of emotion, and the con 
versation had even got to be again cheerful, and to turn into 
its former channels, when suddenly a cry from Saunders re 
newed the alarm. The steward was preparing the breakfast 
in the galley, from which he gave occasional glances to 
wards the land, arid his quick eye had been the first to detect 
a new and still more serious danger that now menaced them. 

A long train of camels was visible, travelling across the 
desert, and holding its way towards the part of the reef 
which touched the shore. At this point, too, were now to 
be seen some twenty Arabs, waiting the arrival of their 
friends ; among whom it was fair to conclude were those 
who had attempted to carry the ship by surprise. As the 
events which next followed were closely connected with the 
policy and forbearance of the party of barbarians near the 
wreck, this will be a suitable occasion to explain the motives 
of the latter, in not assailing Captain Truck, and the real 
state of things among these children of the desert. 

The Dane had been driven ashore, as conjectured, in the 
last gale, and the crew had immediately been captured by a 
small wandering party of the Arabs, with whom the coast 
was then lined; as is usually the case immediately after 
tempestuous weather. Unable to carry off much of the 
car^o, this party had secured the prisoners, and hurried in 
land to an oasis, to give the important intelligence to their 
friends; leaving scouts on the shore, however, that they 
might be early apprised of any similar disaster, or of any 
change in the situation of their present prize. These scouts 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 289 

had discovered the Moiitauk, drifting along the coast, dis 
masted and crippled, and they had watched her to her an 
chorage within the reef. The departure of her boats had 
been witnessed, and though unable to foresee the whole object 
of this expedition, the direction taken pointed out the wreck 
is the point of destination. All this, of course, had been 
communicated to the chief men of the different parties on 
l he coast, of which there were several, who had agreed to 
mite their forces to secure the second ship, and then to 
livide the spoils. 

When the Arabs reached the coast near the wreck, that 
morning, the elders among them were not slow in compre- 
nending the motives of the expedition ; and having gained a 
pretty accurate idea of the number of men employed about 
the Dane, they had come to the just conclusion that few 
were left in the vessel at anchor. They had carried off the 
spy-glass of their prize too, and several among them knew 
its use, from having seen similar things in other stranded 
ships. By means of this glass, they discovered the number 
and quality of those on board the Montauk, as soon as there 
was sufficient light, and directed their own operations ac 
cordingly. The parties that had appeared and disappeared 
behind the sandy ridges of the desert, about the time at 
which we have now arrived in the narrative, and those who 
have been already mentioned in a previous chapter, were 
those who came from the interior, and those who went in 
the direction of the reef; the first of the latter of which 
Saunders had just discovered. Owing to the rounded 
formation of the coast, and to the intervention of a head-land, 
the distance by water between the two ships was quite 
double that by land between the two encampments, and 
those who now arrived abreast of the packet, deliberately 
pitched their tents, as if they depended more on a display 
of their numbers for success than on concealment ind as if 
they felt no apprehension of the return of the crew 

When the gentlemen had taken a survey of this strong 
party, which numbered more than a hundred, they held a 
consultation of the course it would be necessary to pursue. 
To Paul Blunt, as an avowed seaman, and as one who had 
already shown the promptitude and efficiency of his re 
sources, all eyes were turned in expectation of an opinion. 
25 


290 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; So long as the tide keeps in,&quot; this gentleman observed, 
&quot; I see no cause for apprehensions. We are beyond the 
reach of musketry, or at all events, any fire of the Arabs, 
at this distance, must be uncertain and harmless ; and we 
have always the hope of the arrival of the boats. Should 
this fail us, and the tide fall this afternoon as low as it fell 
in the morning, our situation will indeed become critical. 
The water around the ship may possibly serve as a tempo 
rary protection, but the distance to the reef is so small that 
it might be passed by swimming.&quot; 

&quot; Surely we could make good the vessel against men rais 
ing themselves out of the water, and clambering up a vessel s 
side?&quot; said Mr. Sharp. 

&quot; It is probable we might, if unmolested from the shore. 
But, imagine twenty or thirty resolute swimmers to put off 
together for different parts of the vessel, protected by the 
long muskets these Arabs carry, and you will easily con 
ceive the hopelessness of any defence. The first man 
among us, who should show his person to meet the boarders, 
would be shot down like a dog.&quot; 

&quot; It was a cruel oversight to expose us to this horrible 
fate !&quot; exclaimed the appalled father. 

&quot; This is easier seen now than when the mistake was 
committed,&quot; observed John Effingham. &quot; As a seaman, and 
with his important object in view, Captain Truck acted for 
the best, and we should acquit him of all blame, let the re 
sult be what it may. Regrets are useless, and it remains 
for us to devise some means to arrest the danger by which 
we are menaced, before it be too late. Mr. Blunt, you must 
be our leader and counsellor : is it not possible for us to carry 
the ship outside of the reef, and to anchor her beyond the 
danger of our being boarded ?&quot; 

&quot; I have thought of this expedient, and if we had a boat 
it might possibly be done, in this mild weather ; without a 
boat, it is impossible.&quot; 

&quot; But we have a boat,&quot; glancing his eye towards the 
launch that stood in the chocks or chucks. 

&quot; One that would be too unwieldy for our purposes, could 
it be got into the water; a thing in itself that would be 
almost impracticable for us to achieve.&quot; 

A long silence succeeded, during which the gentlemen 


HOMEWARfc BOUND. 291 

were occupied in the bootless effort of endeavouring to 
devise expedients to escape the Arabs ; bootless, because on 
such occasions, the successful measure is commonly the 
result of a sort of sudden inspiration, rather than of con 
tinued and laborious thought. 


CHAPTER XXII. 


With religious awe 

Grief heard the voice of Virtue. No complaint 
The solemn silence broke. Tears ceased to flow. 

GLOVER. 


HOPE is the most treacherous of all human fancies. So 
long as there is a plausible ground to expect relief from any 
particular quarter, men will relax their exertions in the face 
of the most imminent danger, and they cling to their 
expectations long after reason has begun to place the chances 
of success on the adverse side of the scale. Thus it was 
with the party in the Montauk. Two or three precious hours 
were lost in the idle belief that the gun would be heard by 
Captain Truck, and that they might momentarily look for 
the appearance of, at least, one of the boats. 

Paul Blunt was the first to relinquish this delusion. He 
knew that, if it reached their friends at all, the report must 
have been heard in a few seconds, and he knew, also, that 
it peculiarly belonged to the profession of a seaman to come 
to quick decisions. An hour of smart rowing would bring 
the cutter from the wreck to the headland, where it would 
be visible, by means of a glass, from the foretop. Two 
hours had now passed away and no signs of any boat were 
to be discovered, and the young man felt reluctantly com 
pelled to yield all the strong hopes of timely aid that he had 
anticipated from this quarter. John Effingham, who had 
much more energy of character than his kinsman, though 
not more personal fortitude and firmness, was watching the 
movements of their young leader, and he read the severe 
disappointment in his face, as he descended the last time 


292 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

from the top, where he had often been since the consultation, 
to look out for the expected succour. 

&quot; I see it . in your countenance,&quot; said that gentleman ; 
&quot; we have nothing to look for from the boats. Our signal 
has not been heard.&quot; 

&quot; There is no hope, and we are now thrown altogether on 
our own exertions, aided by the kind providence of God.&quot; 

&quot; This calamity is so sudden and so dire, that I can 
scarcely credit it ! Are we then truly in danger of becom 
ing prisoners to barbarians ? Is Eve Effingham, the beau 
tiful, innocent, good, angelic daughter of my cousin, to be 
their victim ! perhaps the inmate of a seraglio !&quot; 

&quot; There is the pang ! Had I a thousand bodies, a thou 
sand lives, I could give all of the first to unmitigated suffer 
ing, lay down all the last to avert so shocking a calamity. 
Do you think the ladies are sensible of their real situation?&quot; 

&quot; They are uneasy rather than terrified. In common 
with us all, they have strong hopes from the boats, though 
the continued arrival of the barbarians, who are constantly 
coming into their camp, has helped to render them a little 
more conscious of the true nature of the danger.&quot; 

Here Mr. Sharp, who stood on the hurricane-house, called 
out for the glass, in order to ascertain what a party of the 
Arabs, who were collected near the in-shore end of the 
reef, were about. Paul Blunt went up to him, and made 
the examination. His countenance fell as he gazed, and 
an expression like that of hopelessness was again apparent 
on his fine features, when he lowered the glass. 

&quot; Here is some new cause of uneasiness !&quot; 

&quot;The wretches have got a number of spars, and are 
lashing them together to form a raft. They are bent on 
our capture, and I see no means of preventing it.&quot; 

&quot; Were we alone, men only, we might have the bitter 
consolation of selling our lives dearly ; but it is terrible to 
have those with us whom we can neither save nor yet de 
vote to a common destruction with our enemies !&quot; 

&quot; It is indeed terrible, and the helplessness of our situa 
tion adds to its misery.&quot; 

&quot; Can we not offer terms ? Might not a promise of ran 
som, with hostages, do something ? I would cheerfully re- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 293 

main in the hands of the barbarians, in order to effect the 
release of the rest of the party.&quot; 

Mr. Blunt grasped his hand, and for a moment he envied 
the other the generous thought. But smiling bitterly, he 
shook his head, as if conscious of the futility of even this 
desperate self-devotion. 

&quot; Gladly would I be your companion ; but the project is, 
in every sense, impracticable. Ransom they might consent 
to receive with us all in their power, but not on the condi 
tion of our being permitted to depart. Indeed, no means 
of quitting them would be left ; for, once in possession of 
the ship, as in a few hours they must be, Captain Truck, 
though having the boats, will be obliged to surrender for 
want of food, or to run the frightful hazard of attempting 
to reach the islands, on an allowance scarcely sufficient to 
sustain life under the most favourable circumstances. These 
flint-hearted monsters are surrounded by the desolation of 
their desert, and they are aware of all their appalling ad 
vantages.&quot; 

&quot; The real state of things ought to be communicated to 
our friends, in order that they may be prepared for the 
worst.&quot; 

To this Mr. Blunt agreed, and they went together to in- 
forrrwJohn Effingham of the new discovery. This stern- 
minded man was, in a manner, prepared for the worst, and 
he now agreed on the melancholy propriety of letting his 
kinsman know the actual nature of the new danger that 
threatened them. 

&quot; I will undertake this unpleasant office,&quot; he said, &quot;though 
I could, in my inmost soul, pray that the necessity for it 
might pass away. Should the worst arrive, I have still 
hopes of effecting something by means of a ransom ; but 
what will have been the fate of the youthful, and delicate, 
and lovely, ere we can make ourselves even comprehended 
by the barbarians ? A journey in the desert, as these jour 
neys have been described to me, would be almost certain 
death to all but the strongest of our party, and even gold 
may fail of its usual power, when weighed against the evil 
nature of savages.&quot; 

&quot; Is there no hope, then, really left us ?&quot; demanded Mr. 
Sharp, when the last speaker had left them to descend to 
25* 


294 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

the cabins. &quot; Is it not possible to get *he boat into the 
water, and to make our escape in that ?&quot; 

&quot; That is an expedient of which I have thought, but it is 
next to impracticable. As anything is better than capture, 
however, I will make one more close examination of the 
proceedings of the demons, and look nearer into our own 
means.&quot; 

Paul Blunt now got a lead and dropped it over the side of 
the ship, in the almost forlorn hope that possibly she might 
lie over some hole on the bottom. The soundings proved to 
be, as indeed he expected, but a little more than three 
fathoms. 

&quot; I had no reason to expect otherwise,&quot; he said, as he 
drew in the line, though he spoke like a disappointed man. 
&quot; Had there been sufficient water the ship might have been 
scuttled, and the launch would have floated off the deck ; 
but as it is, we should lose the vessel without a sufficient 
object. It would appear heroic were you and I to contrive 
to get on the reef, and to proceed to the shore with a view to 
make terms with the Arabs ; but there could be no real use 
in it, as the treachery of their character is too well estab 
lished to look for any benefit from such a step.&quot; 

&quot;Might they not be kept in play, until our friends re 
turned ? Providence may befriend us in some unexpected 
manner in our uttermost peril.&quot; 

&quot; We will examine them once more with the glass. By a 
movement among the Arabs, there has probably been a new 
accession to their numbers.&quot; 

The two gentlemen now ascended to the top of the hurri 
cane-house again, in feverish haste, and once more they ap 
plied the instrument. A minute of close study induced Mr. 
Blunt to drop the glass, with an expression that denoted 
increased concern. 

&quot; Can any thing possibly make our prospects worse 7&quot; 
eagerly inquired his companion. 

&quot;Do you not remember a flag that was on board the 
Dane that by which we identified his nation 7&quot; 

&quot; Certainly : it was attached to the halyards, and lay on the 
quarter-deck.&quot; 

&quot; That flag is now flying in the camp of these barbari- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 29 r &amp;gt; 

ans! You may see it, here, among the tents last pitched by 
the party that arrived while we were conversing forward.&quot; 

&quot; And from this, you infer &quot; 

&quot;That our people are captives! That flag was in the 
ship when we left it; had the Arabs returned before our 
party got there, the captain would have been back long ere 
this ; and in order to obtain this ensign they must have ob 
tained possession of the wreck, after the arrival of the boats ; 
an event that could scarcely occur without a struggle: I 
fear the flag is a proof on which side the victory has fallen. 

&quot; This then would seem to consummate our misfortunes ! 

&quot; It does indeed ; for the faint hope that existed, of being 
relieved by the boats, must now be entirely abandoned.&quot; 

&quot; In the name of God, look again, and see in what condi 
tion the wretches have got their raft ?&quot; 

A long examination followed, for on this point did the fate 
of all in the ship now truly seem to depend. 

&quot; They work with spirit,&quot; said Mr. Blunt, when his ex 
amination had continued a long time ; &quot; but it seems less 
like a raft than before they are lashing spars together 
lengthwise here is a dawning of hope, or what would be 
hope, rather, if the boats had escaped their fangs !&quot; 

&quot; God bless you for the words ! what is there encou 
raging ?&quot; 

&quot; It is not much,&quot; returned Paul Blunt, with a mournful 
smile ; &quot; but trifles become of account in moments of ex 
treme jeopardy. They are making a floating stage, doubt 
less with the intention to pass from the reef to the ship, and 
by veering on the chains we may possibly drop astern suffi 
ciently to disappoint them in the length of their bridge. If 
I saw a hope of the final return of the boats, this expedient 
would not be without its use, particularly if delayed to the 
iast moment, as it might cause the Arabs to lose another 
lide, and a reprieve of eight or ten hours is an age to men 
in our situation.&quot; 

Mr. Sharp caught eagerly at this suggestion and the 
young men walked the deck together for half an hour, dis 
cussing its chances, and suggesting various means of turn 
ing it to the best account. Still, both felt convinced that 
the trifling delay which might thus be obtained, would, in 
the end, be perfectly useless, should Captain Truck and 


296 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

his party have really fallen into the hands of the con /x&amp;gt;n 
enemy. They were thus engaged, sometimes in ieep 
despondency, and sometimes buoyant with revived e pec- 
tations, when Saunders, on the part of Mr. Effing ham 
summoned them below. 

On reaching the cabin, whither both immediately has 
tened, the two gentlemen found the family party in the 
distress that the circumstances would naturally create. 
Mr. Effingham was seated, his daughter s head resting on 
a knee, for she had thrown herself on the carpet, by his 
side. Mademoiselle Viefville paced the cabin, occasionally 
stopping to utter a few words of consolation to her young 
charge, and then again reverting in her mind to the true 
dangers of their situation, with a force that completely 
undid all she had said, by betraying the extent of her own 
apprehensions. Ann Sidley knelt near her young mis 
tress, sometimes praying fervently, though IL silence, and 
at other moments folding her beloved in her arms, as if to 
protect her from the ruffian grasp of the ha, barians. The 
femme de cliambre was sobbing in a state-room, while John 
Effingham leaned, with his arms folded against a bulk- 
head, a picture of stern submission rather than of despair. 
The whole party was now assembled, with the exception of 
the steward, whose lamentations throughout the morning 
had not been noiseless, but who was left on deck to watch 
the movements of the Arabs. 

The moment was not one of idle forms, and Eve Effing 
ham, who would have recoiled, under other circumstances, 
at being seen by her fellow travellers in her present situa 
tion, scarce raised her head, in acknowledgement of their 
melancholy salute, as they entered. She had been weep 
ing, and her hair had fallen in profusion around her 
shouldors. The tears fell no longer, but a warm flushed 
look, one which denoted that a struggle of the mind had 
gotten the better of womanly emotions, had succeeded to 
deadly paleness, and rendered her loveliness of feature and 
expression bright and angelic. Both of the young men 
thought she had never seemed so beautiful, and both felt a 
secret pangj as the conviction forced itself on them, at the 
same instant, that this surpassing beauty was now likely to 
prove her most dangerous enemy 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 297 

&quot; Gentlemen,&quot; said Mr. Effingham, with apparent calm 
ness, and a dignity that no uneasiness could disturb, &quot; my 
kinsman has acquainted us with the hopeless nature of our 
condition, and I have begged the favour of this visit on 
your own account. We cannot separate ; the ties of 
blood and affection unite us, and our fate must be common ; 
but, on you there is no such obligation. Young, bold, and 
active, some plan may suggest itself, by which you may 
possibly escape (he barbarians, and at least save yourselves. 
I know that generous temperaments like yours will not be 
disposed to listen, at first, to such a suggestion : but reflec 
tion will tell you that it is for the interest of us all. You 
may let our fate be known, earlier than it otherwise would 
be, to those who will take immediate measures to procure 
our ransoms.&quot; 

&quot; This is impossible !&quot; Mr. Sharp said firmly. &quot; We 
can never quit you ; could never enjoy a moment s peace 
under the consciousness of having been guilty of an act so 
selfish !&quot; 

&quot; Mr. Blunt is silent,&quot; continued Mr. Effingham, after a 
short pause, in which he looked from one of the young men 
to the other. &quot; He thinks better of my proposition, and 
will listen to his own best interests.&quot; 

Eve raised her head quickly, but without being conscious 
of the anxiety she betrayed, and gazed with melancholy in- 
tentness at the subject of this remark. 

&quot; I do credit to the generous feelings of Mr. Sharp, &quot; Paul 
Blunt now hurriedly answered, &quot; and should be sorry to ad 
mit that my own first impulses were less disinterested ; but 
I confess I have already thought of this, and have reflected 
on all the chances of success or failure. It might be practi 
cable for one who can swim easily to reach the reef; thence 
to cross the inlet, and possibly to gain the shore under cover 
of the opposite range of rocks, which are higher than those 
near us; after which, by following the coast, one might 
communicate with the boats by signal, or even go quite to 
the wreck if necessary. All of this I have deliberated on, 
and once I had determined to propose it ; but &quot; 

&quot;But what?&quot; demanded Eve quickly. &quot;Why not exe 
cute this plan, and save yourself? Is it a reason, because 
our case is hopeless, that you should perish ? Go, then, at 


298 HOMEWARD 

once, for the moments are precious ; an hour hence, it may 
be too late.&quot; 

&quot; Were it merely to save myself, Miss Effingham, do you 
really think me capable of this baseness ?&quot; 

&quot; I do not call it baseness. Why should we draw you 
down with us in our misery ? You have already served us, 
Powis, in a situation of terrible trial, and it is not just 
that you should always devote yourself in behalf of those 
who .seem fated never to do you good. My father will 
tell you he thinks it your duty now to save yourself if pos 
sible.&quot; 

&quot; I think it the duty of every man,&quot; mildly resumed Mr. 
Effingham, &quot; when no imperious obligation requires other 
wise, to save the life and liberty which God has bestowed. 
These gentlemen have doubtless ties and claims on them 
that are independent of us, and why should they inflict a 
pang on those who love them, in order to share in our dis 
aster?&quot; 

&quot; This is placing useless speculations before a miserable 
certainty,&quot; observed John Effingham. &quot; As there can be no 
hope of reaching the boats, it is vain to discuss the propriety 
of the step.&quot; 

&quot; Is this true, Powis 1 Is there truly no chance of your 
escaping. You will not deceive us deceive yourself on a 
vain point of empty pride !&quot; 

&quot; I can say with truth, almost with joy, for I thank God 
I am spared the conflict of judging between my duty and 
my feelings, that there can no longer be any chance of find 
ing the wreck in the possession of our friends,&quot; returned 
Paul fervently. &quot; There were moments when I thought the 
attempt should be made ; and it would perhaps have pro 
perly fallen to my lot to be the adventurer ; but we have 
now proof that the Arabs are masters, and if Captain 
Truck has escaped at all, it is under circumstances that 
scarcely admit the possibility of his being near the land. 
The whole coast must be watched and in possession of the 
barbarians, and one passing along it could hardly escape 
being seen.&quot; 

&quot; Might you not escape into the interior, notwithstand 
ing ?&quot; asked Eve, impetuously. 

&quot;With what motive? To separate myself from those 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 299 

who have been my fellows in misfortune, only to die of 
want, or to fall into the hands of another set of masters ? It 
is every way our interest to keep together, and to let those 
already on the coast become our captors, as the booty of 
two ships may dispose them to be less exacting with their 
prisoners.&quot; 

&quot; Slaves !&quot; muttered John Effingham. 

His cousin bowed his head over the delicate form of Eve, 
which he folded with his arms, as if to shield it from the 
blasts and evils of the desert. 

* As we may be separated immediately on being taken,&quot; 
resumed Paul Blunt, &quot; it will be well to adopt some common 
mode of acting, and a uniform account of ourselves, in order 
that we may impress the barbarians with the policy of car 
rying us, as soon as possible, into the vicinity of Mogadore, 
with a view to obtaining a speedy ransom.&quot; 

&quot; Can any thing be better than the holy truth ?&quot; exclaimed 
Eve. &quot; No, no, no ! Let us not deform this chastening act 
of God by colouring any thought or word with deception.&quot; 

&quot;Deception in our case will hardly be needed; but by- 
understanding those facts which will most probably influence 
the Arabs, we may dwell the most on them. We cannot do 
better than by impressing on the minds of our captors the 
circumstance that this is no common ship, a fact their own 
eyes will corroborate, and that we are not mere mariners, 
but passengers, who will be likely to reward their forbear 
ance and moderation.&quot; 

&quot; I think, sir,&quot; interrupted Ann Sidley, looking up with 
tearful eyes from the spot where she still knelt, &quot;that if 
these people knew how much Miss Eve is sought and 
beloved, they might be led to respect her as she deserves, 
and this at least would * temper the wind to the shorn 
lamb ! &quot; 

&quot; Poor Nanny !&quot; murmured Eve, stretching forth a hand 
towards her old nurse, though her face was still buried in 
her own haii , &quot; thou wilt soon learn that there is another 
leveller beside the grave !&quot; 

&quot;Ma am!&quot; 

&quot; Thou wilt find that Eve, in the hands of barbarians, is 
not thy Eve. It will now become my turn to become a 
handmaiden, and to perform for others offices a thousand 


300 HOMEWARD EOUN0, 

times more humiliating than any thou hast ever performeo 
for me.&quot; 

Such a consummation of their misery had never struck 
the imagination of the simple-minded Ann, and she gazed at 
her child with tender concern, as if she distrusted her senses, 

&quot; This is too improbable, dear Miss Eve,&quot; she said, &quot; and 
you will distress your father by talking so wildly. The 
Arabs are human beings though they are barbarians, and 
they will never dream of anything so wicked as this.&quot; 

Mademoiselle Viefville made a rapid and fervent ejacula 
tion in her own language, that was keenly expressive of her 
own sense of misery, and Ann Sidley, who always felt 
uneasiness when anything was said affecting Eve that she 
could not understand, looked from one to the other, as if 
she demanded an explanation. 

&quot; I m sure Mamerzelle cannot think any such thing likely 
to take place,&quot; she continued more positively ; &quot; and, sir, 
you at least will not permit Miss Eve to torment herself with 
any notions as unreasonable, as monstrous as this !&quot; 

&quot; We are in the hands of God, my worthy Ann, and you 
may live to see all your fixed ideas of propriety violated, 51 
returned Mr. Effingham. &quot; Let us pray that we may not 
be separated, for there will at least be a tender consolation 
in being permitted to share our misery in company. Should 
we be torn asunder, then indeed will the infliction be one of 
insupportable agony !&quot; 

&quot; And who will think of such a cruelty, sir ? Me they 
cannot separate from Miss Eve, for I am her servant, her 
own long-tried, faithful attendant, who first held her in arms, 
and nursed her when a helpless infant ; and you too, sir, 
you are her father, her own beloved revered parent; and 
Mr. John, is he not her kinsman, of her blood and name ? 
And even Mamerzelle also has claims to remain with Miss 
Eve, for she has taught her many things, I dare say, that it 
is good to know. Oh ! no, no, no ! no one has a right to 
tear us asunder, and no one will have the heart to do it.&quot; 

&quot; Nanny, Nanny,&quot; murmured Eve, &quot; you do not, cannot 
know the cruel Arabs !&quot; 

&quot; They cannot be crueller and more unforgiving than our 
own savages, ma am, and they keep the mother with the 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 301 

child ; and when they spare life, they take the prisoners into 
their huts, and treat them as they treat their own* God has 
caused so many of the wicked to perish for their sins, in 
these eastern lands, that I do not think a man can he left 
that is wretch enough to harm one like Miss Eve. Take 
courage then, sir, and put your trust in his Holy Providence. 
I know the trial is hard to a tender father s heart, but should 
their customs require them to keep the men and women 
asunder, and to separate you from your daughter, for a 
short time, remember that I shall be with her, as I was in 
her childhood, when, by the mercy of God, we carried her 
through so many mortal diseases in safety, and have got 
her, in the pride of her youth, without a blemish or a defect, 
the perfect creature she is.&quot; 

&quot; If the world had no other tenants but such as you, de 
voted and simple-hearted woman, there would indeed be 
little cause for apprehension ; for you are equally unable to 
imagine wrong yourself, or to conceive it in others. It 
would remove a mountain from my heart, could I indeed be 
lieve that even you will be permitted to remain near this de 
pendent and fragile girl during the months of suffering and 
anguish that are likely to occur.&quot; 

&quot; Father,&quot; said Eve, hurriedly drying her eyes, and ris 
ing to her feet with a motion so easy, and an effort so slight, 
that it appeared like the power of mere volition, the supe 
riority of the spirit over her light frame, &quot; father, do not 
let a thought of me distress you at this awful moment. You 
have known me only in happiness and prosperity, an in 
dulged and indolent girl ; but I feel a force which is capable 
of sustaining me, even in this blank desert. The Arabs can 
have no other motive than to preserve us all, as captives 
likely to repay their care with a rich ransom. I know that 
a journey, according to their habits, will be painful and ar 
duous, but it may be borne. Trust, then, more to my spirit 
than to my feeble body, and you will find that I am not as 
worthless as I fear you fancy.&quot; 

Mr. Effingham passed his arm round the slender waist of 

his child, and folded her almost frantically to his bosom. Bi?t 

Eve was aroused, and gently extricating herself, with bright 

but tearless eyes, she looked round at her companions, as if 

26 


302 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

she would reverse the order of their sympathies, and &amp;lt;3 
them to their own wants and hazards. 

&quot; I know you think me the most exposed by this dreadful 
disaster,&quot; she said; &quot;that I may not be able to bear up 
against the probable suffering, and that I shall sink first, be 
cause I am the feeblest and frailest in frame ; but God per 
mits the reed to bend, when the oak is destroyed. I am 
stronger, able to bear more than you imagine, and we shall 
all live to meet again, in happier scenes, should it be our 
present hard fortune to be separated.&quot; 

As Eve spoke, she cast affectionate looks on those dear to 
her by habit, and blood, and services ; nor did she permit an 
unnecessary reserve at such a moment to prevent glances of 
friendly interest towards the two young men, whose very 
souls seemed wrapped in her movements. Words of en 
couragement from such a source, however, only served to 
set the frightful truth more vividly before the minds of her 
auditors, and not one of them heard what she said who did 
not feel an awful presentiment that a few weeks of the suf 
fering of which she made so light, did she even escape a 
crueller fate, would consign that form, now so winning and 
lovely, to the sands. Mr. Effingham now rose, and for the 
first time the flood of sensations that had been so long 
gathering in his bosom, seemed ready to burst through the 
restraints of manhood. Struggling to command himself, he 
turned to his two young male companions, and spoke with 
an impressiveness and dignity that carried with them a dou 
ble force, from the fact of his ordinary manners being so 
tempered and calm. 

&quot; Gentlemen,&quot; he said, &quot; we may serve each other, by 
coming to an understanding in time ; or at least you may 
confer on me a favour that a life of gratitude would not re 
pay. You are young and vigorous, bold and intelligent, 
qualities that will command the respect of even savages. 
The chances that one of you will survive to reach a Chris 
tian land are much greater than those of a man of my 
years, borne down as I shall be with the never-dying anxie 
ties of a parent.&quot; 

&quot;Father! father!&quot; 

&quot; Hush ! darling : let me entreat these gentlemen to bear 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 303 

us in mind, should they reach a place of safety ; for, after 
all, youth may do that in your behalf, which time will deny 
to John and myself. Money will be of no account, you 
know, to rescue my child from a fate far worse than death, 
and it may be some consolation to you, young men, to re 
collect, at the close of your own careers, which I trust will 
yet be long and happy, that a parent, in his last moments, 
found a consolation in the justifiable hopes he had placed on 
your generous exertions*&quot; 

&quot;Father, I cannot bear this! For you to be the victim 
of these barbarians is too much ; and I would prefer trusting 
all to a raft on the terrible ocean, to incurring the smallest 
chance of such a calamity. Mademoiselle, you will join me 
in the entreaty to the gentlemen to prepare a few planks to 
receive us, where we can perish together, and at least have 
the consolation of knowing that our eyes will be closed by 
friends. The longest survivor will be surrounded and sup 
ported by the spirits of those who have gone before, into a 
world devoid of care.&quot; 

&quot;I have thought this from the first,&quot; returned Made 
moiselle Viefville in French, with an energy of manner that 
betokened a high and resolved character: &quot; I would not ex 
pose gentlewomen to the insults and outrages of barbarians ; 
but did not wish to make a proposition that the feelings of 
others might reject.&quot; 

&quot; It is a thousand times preferable to capture, if indeed it 
be practicable,&quot; said John Effingham, looking inquiringly 
towards Paul. The latter, however, shook his head in the 
negative, for, the wind blowing on shore, he knew it would 
be merely meeting captivity without the appearance of a self- 
reliance and dignity, that might serve to impress their cap 
tors favourably. 

&quot; It is impossible ,&quot; said Eve, reading the meaning of the 
glances, and dropping on her knees before Mr. Effingham ; 
&quot; well, then, may our trust be in God ! We have yet a few 
minutes of liberty, and let them not be wasted idly, in vain 
regrets. Father, kiss me, and give me once more that holy 
and cherished blessing, with which you used to consign me 
to sleep, in those days when we scarce dreamed of, never 
realized, misfortune.&quot; 


304 HOMEWARD 

&quot;Bless you, bless you, my babe; my beloved, my 
cherished Eve !&quot; said the father solemnly, but with a quiver 
ing lip. &quot; May that dread Being whose ways, though mys 
terious, are perfect wisdom and mercy, sustain you in this 
trial, and bring you at last, spotless in spirit and person, to 
his own mansions of peace* God took from me early thy 
sainted mother, and I had impiously trusted in the hope that 
thou wert left to be my solace in age. Bless you, my Eve ; 
I shall pray God, without ceasing, that thou mayest pass 
away as pure and as worthy of His love, as her to whom 
thou owest thy being.&quot; 

John Effingham groaned ; the effort he made to repress 
his feelings causing the out-breaking of his soul to be deep 
though smothered. 

&quot; Father, let us pray together. Ann, my good Ann, thou 
who first taught me to lisp a thanksgiving and a request, 
kneel here by my side and you, too, mademoiselle ; though 
of a different creed, we have a common God ! Cousin John, 
you pray often, I know, though so little apt to show your 
emotions ; there is a place for you, too, with those of your 
blood. I know not whether these gentlemen are too proud 
to pray.&quot; 

Both the young men knelt with the others, and there was 
a long pause in which the whole party put up their supplica 
tions, each according to his or her habits of thought. 

&quot; Father !&quot; resumed Eve, looking up as she still knelt be 
tween the knees of Mr. Effingham, and smiling fondly in 
the face of him she so piously loved ; &quot; there is one precious 
hope of which even the barbarians cannot rob us : we may 
be separated here, but our final meeting rests only with 
God!&quot; 

Mademoiselle Viefville passed an arm round the waist of 
her sweet pupil, and pressed her against her heart. 

&quot; There is but one abode for the blessed, my dear ma 
demoiselle, and one expiation for us all.&quot; Then rising from 
her knees, Eve said with the grace and dignity of a gentle 
woman, &quot; Cousin Jack, kiss me ; we know not when another 
occasion may offer to manifest to each other our mutual re 
gard. You have been a dear and an indulgent kinsman to 
me, and should I live these twenty years a slave, I shall not 
cease to think of you with kindness and regret.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 305 

John Effingham folded the beautiful and ardent girl in his 
arms, with the freedom and fondness of a parent. 

&quot;Gentlemen,&quot; continued Eve, with a deepening colour, 
but eyes that were kind and grateful, &quot; I thank you, too, for 
lending your supplications to ours. I know that young men 
in the pride of their security, seldom fancy such a depend 
ence on God necessary ; but the strongest are overturned, 
and pride is a poor substitute for the hope of the meek. I 
believe you have thought better of me than 1 merit, and I 
should never cease to reproach myself with a want of consi 
deration, did I believe that any thing more than accident 
has brought you into this ill-fated vessel. Will you permit 
me to add one more obligation to the many I feel to you 
both ?&quot; advancing nearer to them, and speaking lower; &quot; you 
are young, and likely to endure bodily exposure better than 
my father that we shall be separated I feel persuaded and 
it might be in your power to solace a heart-broken parent. 
I see, I know, I may depend on your good offices.&quot; 

&quot;Eve my blessed daughter my only, my beloved 
child!&quot; exclaimed Mr. Effingham, who overheard her lowest 
syllable, so death-like was the stillness of the cabin &quot; come 
to me, dearest; no power on earth shall ever tear us 
asunder !&quot; 

Eve turned quickly, and beheld the arms of her parent 
extended. She threw herself into them, when the pent and 
irresistible emotions broke loose in both, for they wept to 
gether, as she lay on his bosom, with a violence that in a 
man it was awfully painful to witness. 

Mr. Sharp had advanced to take the offered hand of Eve f 
when she suddenly left him for the purpose just mentioned, 
and he now felt the grasp of Paul s fingers on his arm, as if 
they were about to penetrate the bone. Fearful of betraying 
the extent of their feelings, the two young men rushed on 
deck together, where they paced backward and forward for 
many minutes, quite unable to exchange a word, or even a 
look. 

26 * 


306 HOMEWARD HOUNL 


CHAPTER XXHL 


O Domine Deus! speravi in te, 
O care mi Jesu, nunc libera iao ; 
in dura catena, 
In misera prena, 

Desidero te 
Languendo, gemendo 
Et genuflectendo, 
Adora, imploro, ut liberes me. 

Queen Mary. 


THE sublime consolations of religion were little felt by 
either of the two generous-minded and ardent young men 
who were pacing the deck of the Montauk. The gentle and 
the plastic admit the most readily of the divine influence ; 
and of all on board the devoted vessel at that moment, they 
who were the most resigned to their fate were those who by 
their physical force were the least able to endure it. 

&quot; This heavenly resignation,&quot; said Mr. Sharp, half whis 
pering, &quot; is even more heart-rending than the out-breakings 
of despair.&quot; 

&quot; It is frightful !&quot; returned his companion. &quot; Any thing 
is better than passive submission in such circumstances, i 
see but little, indeed no hope of escape ; but idleness is 
torture. If I endeavour to raise this boat, will you aid 
me?&quot; 

&quot; Command me like your slave. Would to Heaven there 
were the faintest prospects of success !&quot; 

&quot; There is but little; and should we even succeed, there 
are no means of getting far from the ship in the launch, as 
all the oars have been carried off by the captain, and I can 
hear of neither masts nor sails. Had we the latter, with 
this wind which is beginning to blow, we might indeed pro 
long the uncertainty, by getting on some of those more 
distant spits of sand.&quot; 

&quot; Then, in the name of the blessed Maria !&quot; exclaimed 
one behind them in French,&quot; delay not n instant, and all 
on board will join in the labour !&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUJfD. 307 

The gentlemen turned in surprise, and beheld Mademoi 
selle Viefville standing so near them as to have overheard 
their conversation. Accustomed to depend on herseif, 
coming of a people among whom woman is more energetic 
and useful, perhaps, than in any other Christian nation, and 
resolute of spirit naturally, this cultivated and generous fe 
male had come on deck purposely to see if indeed there re- 
mained no means by which they might yet escape the 
Arabs. Had her knowledge of a vessel at all equalled her 
resolution, it is probable that many fruitless expedients 
would already have been adopted ; but finding herself in 
a situation so completely novel as that of a ship, until now 
she had found no occasion to suggest any thing to which her 
companions would be likely to lend themselves. But, seiz- 
-ing the hint of Paul, she pressed it on him with ardour, and, 
after a few minutes of urging, by her zeal and persuasion 
she prevailed on the two gentlemen to commence the ne 
cessary preparations without further delay. John Effingham 
and Saunders were immediately summoned by Mademoi 
selle Viefville herself, who, once engaged in the undertaking, 
pursued it fervently, while she went in person into the 
cabins to make the necessary preparations connected with 
their subsistence and comforts, should they actually suc 
ceed in quitting the vessel. 

No experienced mariner could set about the work with 
more discretion, or with a better knowledge of what was 
necessary to be done, than Mr. Blunt now showed. Saun 
ders was directed to clear the launch, which had a roof on 
it, and still contained a respectable provision of poultry, 
sheep and pigs. The roof he was told not to disturb, since 
it might answer as a substitute for a deck ; but everything 
was passed rapidly from the inside of the boat, which the 
steward commenced scrubbing and cleaning with an assi 
duity that he seldom manifested in his cabins. Fortunately, 
the tackles with which Mr. Leach had raised the sheers and 
stepped the jury-mast the previous morning were still lying 
on the deck, and Paul was spared the labour of reeving new 
ones. He went to work, therefore, to get up two on the 
substitute for a main-stay ; a job that he had completed, 
through the aid of the two gentlemen on deck, by the time 


308 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

Saunders pronounced the boat to be in a fit condition to re 
ceive its cargo. The gripes were now loosened, and the 
fall of one of the tackles was led to the capstan. 

By this time Mademoiselle Viefville, by her energy and 
decision, had so far aroused Eve and her woman, that Mr. 
Effingham had left his daughter, and appeared on deck 
among those who were assisting Paul. So intense was the 
interest, however, which all took in the result, that the 
ladies, and even Ann Sidley, with the femme de chambre, 
suspended their own efforts, and stood clustering around 
the capstan as the gentlemen began to heave, almost breath 
less between their doubts and hopes ; for it was a matter of 
serious question whether there was sufficient force to lift so 
heavy a body at all. Turn after turn was made, the fall 
gradually tightening, until those at the bars felt the full 
strain of their utmost force. 

&quot; Heave together, gentlemen,&quot; said Paul Blunt, who di 
rected every thing, besides doing so much with his own 
hands. &quot; We have its weight now, tind all we gain is so 
much towards lifting the boat.&quot; 

A steady effort was continued for two or three minutes, 
with but little sensible advantage, when all stopped fox 
breath. 

&quot; I fear it will surpass our strength,&quot; observed Mr. Sharp. 
&quot;The boat seems not to have moved, and the ropes are 
stretched in a way to menace parting.&quot; 

&quot; We want but the force of a boy added to our own,&quot; 
said Paul, looking doubtingly towards the females; &quot;in 
such cases, a pound counts for a ton.&quot; 

&quot; Allans!&quot; cried Mademoiselle Viefville, motioning to the 
femme de chambre to follow ; &quot; we will not be defeated for 
the want of such a trifle.&quot; 

These two resolute women applied their strength to the 
bars, and the power, which had been so equally balanced, 
preponderated in favour of the machine. The capstan, 
which a moment before was scarcely seen to turn, and that 
only by short and violent efforts, now moved steadily but 
slowly round, and the end of the launch rose. Eve was 
only prevented from joining the labourers by Nanny, who 
held her folded in her arms, fearful that some accident might 
occur to injure her. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 309 

Paul Blunt now cheerfully announced the certainty that 
they had a force sufficient to raise the boat, though the ope 
ration would still be long and laborious. We say, cheer 
fully ; for while this almost unhoped-for success promised 
little relief in the end, there is always something buoyant 
and encouraging in success of any sort. 

&quot; We are masters of the boat,&quot; he said, &quot; provided the 
Arabs do not molest us ; and we may drift away, by means 
of some contrivance of a sail, to such a distance as will 
keep us out of their power, until all chance of seeing our 
friends again is finally lost.&quot; 

&quot;This, then, is a blessed relief!&quot; exclaimed Mr. Effing- 
ham ; &quot; and God may yet avert from us the bitterest portion 
of this calamity !&quot; 

The pent emotions again flowed, and Eve once more wept 
in her father s arms, a species of holy joy mingling with her 
tears. In the mean time, Paul, having secured the fall by 
which they had just been heaving, brought the other to the 
capstan, when the operation was renewed with the same suc 
cess. In this manner in the course of half an hour the 
launch hung suspended from the stay, at a sufficient height 
to apply the yard-tackles. As the latter, however, were not 
aloft, Paul having deemed it wise to ascertain their ability to 
lift the boat at all, before he threw away so much toil, the 
females renewed their preparations in the cabins, while tha 
gentlemen assisted the young sailor in getting up the pur* 
chases. During this pause in the heaving, Saunders was 
sent below to search for sails and masts, both of which Paul 
thought must be somewhere in the ship, as he found the 
launch was fitted to receive them. 

It was apparent, in the mean time, that the Arabs watched 
their proceedings narrowly ; for the moment Paul appeared 
on the yard a great movement took place among them, and 
several muskets were discharged in the direction of the ship, 
though the distance rendered the fire harmless. The gen 
tlemen observed with concern, however, that the balls passed 
the vessel, a fearful proof of the extraordinary power of the 
arms used by these barbarians. Luckily the reef, which by 
this time was nearly bare ahead of the ship, was still covered 
in a few places nearer to the shore to a depth that forbade a 


310 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

passage, except by swimming. John Effingham, however, 
who was examining the proceedings of the Arabs with a 
glass, announced that a party appeared disposed to get on 
the naked rocks nearest the ship, as they had left the shore, 
dragging some light spars after them, with which they 
seemed to be about to bridge the different spots of deep 
water, most of which were sufficiently narrow to admit of 
being passed in this manner. 

Although the operation commenced by the Arabs would 
necessarily consume a good deal of time, this intelligence 
quickened the movements of all in the ship. Saunders, in 
particular, who had returned to report his want of success, 
worked with redoubled zeal ; for, as is usual with those 
who are the least fortified by reason, he felt the greatest 
horror of falling into the hands of barbarians. It was a 
slow and laborious thing, notwithstanding, to get upon the 
yards the heavy blocks and falls ; and had not Paul Blunt 
been quite as conspicuous for personal strength as he was 
ready and expert in a knowledge of his profession, he would 
not have succeeded in the unaided effort; unaided aloft, 
though the others, of course, relieved him much by work 
ing at the whips on deck. At length this important 
arrangement was effected, the young man descended, and 
the capstan was again manned. 

This time the females were not required, it being in the 
power of the gentlemen to heave the launch out to the side 
of the ship, Paul managing the different falls so adroitly, 
that the heavy boat was brought so near and yet so much 
above the rail, as to promise to clear it. John Effingham 
now stood at one of the stay-tackle falls, and Paul at the 
other, when the latter made a signal to ease away. The 
launch settled slowly towards the side of the vessel until it 
reached the rail, against which it lodged. Catching a turn 
with his fall, Mr. Blunt sprang forward, and bending be 
neath the boat, he saw that its keel had hit a belaying-pin. 
One blow from a capstan-bar cleared away this obstruction, 
and the boat swung off. The stay-tackle falls were let go 
entirely, and all on board saw, with an exultation that 
words can scarcely describe, the important craft suspended 
directly over the sea. No music ever sounded more* 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 311 

sweetly to the listeners than the first plash of the massive 
boat as it fell heavily upon the surface of the water. Its 
size, its roof, and its great strength gave it an appearance 
of security, that for the moment deceived them all ; for, in 
contemplating the advantage they had so unexpectedly 
gained, they forgot the many obstacles that existed to their 
availing themselves of it. 

It was not many minutes before Paul was on the roof of 
the launch, had loosened the tackles, and had breasted the 
boat to, at the side of the ship, in readiness to receive the 
stores that the females had collected. In order that the 
reader may better understand the nature of the ark that 
was about to receive those who remained in the Montauk, 
however, it may be well to describe it. 

The boat itself was large, strong, and capable of resist 
ing a heavy sea when well managed, and, of course, 
unwieldy in proportion. To pull it, at a moderate rate, 
eight or ten large oars were necessary ; whereas, all the 
search of the gentlemen could not find one. They suc 
ceeded, however, in discovering a rudder and tiller, appli 
ances not always used in launches, and Paul Blunt shipped 
them instantly. Around the gunwales of the boat, stanch 
ions, which sustained a slightly-rounded roof, were fitted, 
a provision that it is usual to make in the packets, in order 
to protect the stock they carry against the weather. This 
stock having been turned loose on the deck, and the inte 
rior cleaned, the latter now presented a snug and respecta 
ble cabin ; one coarse and cramped, compared with those 
of the ship certainly, but on the other hand, one that might 
be well deemed a palace by shipwrecked mariners. As it 
would be possible to retain this roof until compelled by bad 
weather to throw it away, Paul, who had never before seen 
a boat afloat with such a canopy, regarded it with delight ; 
for it promised a protection to that delicate form he so 
much cherished in his inmost heart, that he had not even 
dared to hope for. Between the roof and the gunwale of 
the boat, shutters buttoned in, so as to fill the entire space ; 
and when these were in their places, the whole of the 
interior formed an enclosed apartment, of a height suffi 
cient to allow even a man to stand erect without his hat. 


312 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

It is true, this arrangement rendered the boat clumsy, and, 
to a certain extent, top-heavy and unmanageable ; but so 
long as it could be retained, it also rendered it infinitely 
more comfortable than it could possibly be without it. 
The roof, moreover, might be cut away in five minutes, at 
any time, should circumstances require it. 

Paul had just completed a hasty survey of his treasure, 
for such he now began to consider the launch, when casting 
his eye upward, with the intention to mount the ship s side, 
he saw Eve looking down at him, as if to read their fate in 
the expression of his own countenance.- 

&quot;The Arabs,&quot; she hurriedly remarked, &quot;are moving 
along the reef, as my father says, faster than he could wish, 
and all our hopes are centred in you and the boat. The first, 
I know, will not fail us, so long as means allow ; but can 
we do anything with the launch?&quot; 

&quot; For the first time, dearest Miss Effingham, I see a little 
chance of rescuing ourselves from the grasp of these barba 
rians. There is no time to lose, but everything must be 
passed into the boat with as little delay as possible.&quot; 

&quot; Bless you, bless you, Powis, for this gleam of hope ! 
Your words are cordials, and our lives can scarcely serve 
to prove the gratitude we owe you.&quot; 

This was said naturally, and as one expresses a strong 
feeling, without reflection, or much weighing of words ; but 
even at that fearful moment, it thrilled on every pulse of the 
young man. The ardent look that he gave the beautiful 
girl caused her to redden to the temples, and she hastily 
withdrew. 

The gentlemen now began to pass into the boat the dif 
ferent things that had been provided, principally by the 
foresight of Mademoiselle Viefville, where they were received 
by Paul who thrust them beneath the roof without stopping 
to lose the precious moments in stowage. They included 
mattresses, the trunks that contained their ordinary sea-at 
tire, or those that were not stowed in the baggage-room, 
blankets, counterpanes, potted meats, bread, wine, various 
condiments and prepared food, from the stores of Saunders, 
and generally such things as had presented themselves in 
the hurry of the moment. Nearly half of the articles were 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 313 

rejected by Paul, as unnecessary, though he received many 
in consideration of the delicacy of his feebler companions, 
which would otherwise have been cast aside. When he 
found, however, that food enough had been passed into the 
boat to supply the wants of the whole party for several 
weeks, he solicited a truce, declaring it indiscreet to render 
themselves uselessly uncomfortable in this manner, to say 
nothing of the effect on the boat. The great requisite, 
water, was still wanting, and he now desired that the two 
domestics might get into the boat to arrange the different 
articles, while he endeavoured to find something that might 
serve as a substitute for sails, and obtain the all-important 
supply. 

His attention was first given to the water, without which 
all the other preparations would be rendered totally useless. 
Before setting about this, however, he stole a moment to 
look into the state of things among the Arabs. It was in 
deed time, for the tide had now fallen so low as to leave the 
rocks nearly bare, and several hundreds of the barbarians 
were advancing along the reef, towing their bridge, the 
slow progress of which alone prevented them from coming 
up at once to the point opposite the ship. Paul saw there 
was not a moment to lose, and, calling Saunders, he hurried 
below. 

Three or four small casks were soon found, when the 
steward brought them to the tank to be filled. Luckily the 
water had not to be pumpefl off, but it ran in a stream into 
the vessel that was placed to receive it. As soon as one 
cask was ready, it was carried on deck by the gentlemen, 
and was struck into the boat with as little delay as possible. 
The shouts of the Arabs now became audible, even to those 
who were below, and it required great steadiness of nerve to 
continue the all-important preparation. At length the last 
of the casks was filled, when Paul rushed on deck, for, by 
this time, the cries of the barbarians proclaimed their pre 
sence near the ship. When he reached the rail, he found 
the reef covered with them, some hailing the vessel, others 
menacing, hundreds still busied with their floating bridge, 
while a few endeavoured to frighten those on board by dis 
charging their muskets over their heads. Happily, aim was 
27 


314 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

impossible, so long as care was taken not to expose the body 
above the bulwarks. 

&quot; We have not a moment to lose !&quot; cried Mr. Effingham, 
on whose bosom Eve lay, nearly incapable of motion. 
&quot; The food and water are in the boat, and in the name of a 
merciful God, let us escape from this scene of frightful bar 
barity?&quot; 

&quot;The danger is not yet so inevitable,&quot; returned Paul, 
steadily. &quot;Frightful and pressing as it truly seems, we have 
a few minutes to think in. Let me entreat that Miss Effing- 
ham and Mademoiselle Viefville will receive a drop of this 
cordial.&quot; 

He poured into a glass a restorative from a bottle that had 
been left on the capstan as superfluous, in the confusion of 
providing stores, and held it to the pallid lips of Eve. As 
she swallowed a mouthful, nearly as helpless as the infant 
that receives nourishment from the hand of its nurse, the 
blood returned, and raising herself from her father s arms, 
she smiled, though with an effort, and thanked him for his 
care. 

&quot; It was a dread moment,&quot; she said, passing a hand over 
her brow ; &quot; but it is past, and I am better. Mademoiselle 
Viefville will be obliged to you, also, for a little of this.&quot; 

The firm-minded and spirited Frenchwoman, though pale 
as death, and evidently suffering under extreme apprehen 
sion, put aside the glass courteously, declining its contents. 

&quot; We are sixty fathoms from the rocks,&quot; said Paul calmly, 
&quot; and they must cross this ditch yet, to reach us. None of 
them seem disposed to attempt it by swimming, and their 
bridge, thougji ingeniously put together, may not prove long 
enough.&quot; 

&quot; Would it be safe for the ladies to get into the boat where 
she lies, exposed as they would be to the muskets of the 
Arabs ?&quot; inquired Mr. Sharp. 

&quot; All that shall be remedied,&quot; returned Paul. &quot; I cannot 
quit the deck; would you,&quot; slightly bowing to Mr. Sharp, 
&quot; go below again, with Saunders, and look for some light 
sail ? without one, we cannot move away from the ship, even 
when in the boat. I see a suitable spar and necessary rig 
ging on deck; but the canvas must be looked for in the 


HOMEWARD BOUHTD. 315 

sail-room, It is a nervous thing, I confess, to be below at 
such a moment ; but you have too much faith in us to dread 
being deserted.&quot; 

Mr. Sharp grasped the hand as a pledge of a perfect re 
liance on the other s faith, but he could not speak. Calling 
Saunders, the steward received his instructions, when the 
two went hastily below. 

&quot;I could wish the ladies were in the boat with their 
women,&quot; said Paul, for Ann Sid ley and the femme de 
chambre were still in the launch, busied in disposing of its 
mixed cargo of stores, though concealed from the Arabs by 
the roof and shutters; &quot;but it would be hazardous to 
attempt it while exposed to the fire from the reef. We shall 
have to change the position of the ship in the end, and it 
may as well be done at once.&quot; 

Beckoning to John Effingham to follow, he went forward 
to examine into the movements of the Arabs, once more, 
before he took any decided step. The two gentlemen placed 
themselves behind the high defences of the forecastle, where 
they had a fair opportunity of reconnoitring their assail 
ants, the greater height of the ship s deck completely con 
cealing all that had passed on it from the sight of those on 
the rocks. 

The barbarians, who seemed to be, and who in truth 
were, fully apprised of the defenceless and feeble condition 
of the party on board, were at work without the smallest 
apprehension of receiving any injury from that quarter. 
Their great object was to get possession of the shi-p, before 
the returning water should again drive them from the rocks. 
In order to effect this, they had placed all who were willing 
and sufficiently subordinate on the bridge, though a hundred 
were idle, shouting, clapping their hands, menacing, and 
occasionally discharging a musket, of which there were 
probably fifty in their possession. 

&quot; They work with judgment at their pontoon,&quot; said Paul, 
after he had examined the proceedings of those on the reef 
for a few minutes. &quot;You may perceive that they have 
dragged the outer end of the bridge up to windward, and 
have just shoved it from the rocks, with the intention to per- 
mit it to drift round, until it shall bring up against the bows 


316 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

of the ship, when they will pour on board like so many 
tigers. It is a disjointed and loose contrivance, that the 
least sea would derange ; but in this perfectly smooth water 
it will answer their purpose. It moves slowly, but will 
surely drift round upon us in the course of fifteen or twenty 
minutes more ; and of this they appear to be quite certain 
themselves, for they seem as well satisfied with their work 
as if already assured of its complete success.&quot; 

&quot; It is, then, important to us to be prompt, since our time 
will be so brief.&quot; 

&quot; We will be prompt, but in another mode. If you will 
assist me a little, I think this effort, at least, may be easily 
defeated, after which it will be time enough to think of 
escape.&quot; 

Paul, aided by John Effingham, now loosened the chains 
altogether from the bitts, and suffered the ship to drop astern. 
As this was done silently and stealthily, it occupied several 
minutes ; but the wind being by this time fresh, the huge 
mass yielded to its power with certainty; and when the 
bridge had floated round in a direct line from the reef, or 
dead to leeward, there was a space of water between its end 
and the ship of more than a hundred feet. The Arabs had 
rushed on it in readiness to board ; but they set up a yell of 
disappointment as soon as the truth was discovered. A 
tumult followed; several fell from the wet and slippery 
spars; but, after a short time wasted in confusion and 
clamour, the directions of their chiefs were obeyed, and they 
set to work with energy to break up their bridge, in order to 
convert its materials into a raft. 

By this time Mr. Sharp and Saunders had returned, bring 
ing with them several light sails, such as spare royals and 
top-gallant studding-sails. Paul next ordered a spare mizzen- 
top-gallant mast, with a top-gallant studding-sail boom, and 
a quantity of light rope to be laid in the gangway, after 
which he set about the final step. As time now pressed in 
earnest, the Arabs working rapidly and with increasing 
shouts, he called upon all the gentlemen for assistance, 
giving such directions as should enable them to work with 
intelligence. 

&quot; Bear a hand, Saunders,&quot; he said, having taken the stew- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 317 

ard forward with him, as one more accustomed to ships than 
the others ; &quot; bear a hand my fine fellow, and light up this 
chain. Ten minutes just now are of more value than a year 
at another time.&quot; 

&quot; Tis awful, Mr. Blunt, sir werry awful, I do con 
firm,&quot; returned the steward, blubbering and wiping his eyes 
between the drags at the chains. &quot;Such a fate to befall 
such cabins, sir! And the crockery of the werry best 
quality out of London or New York ! Had I diwined such 
an issue for the Montauk, sir, I never would have counselled 
Captain Truck to lay in half the stores we did, and most 
essentially not the new lots of vines. Oh ! sir, . it is truly 
awful to have such a calamity wisit so much elegant pre 
paration !&quot; 

&quot; Forget it all, my fine fellow, and light up the chain. 
Ha! she touches abaft ! Ten or fifteen fathoms more &quot;will 
answer.&quot; 

&quot; I ve paid great dewotion to the silver, Mr. Blunt, sir, for 
it s all in the launch, even to the broken mustard-spoon; 
and I do hope, if Captain Truck s soul is permitted to su 
perintend the pantry any longer, it will be quite beatified and 
encouraged with my prudence and oversight. I left all the 
rest of the table furniture, sir; though I suppose these 
muscle-men will not have much use for any but the oyster- 
knives, as I am informed they eat with their fingers. I de 
clare it is quite oppressive and unhuman to have such wag- 
abonds rummaging one s lockers !&quot; 

&quot; Rouse away, my man, and light up ! the ship has caught 
the breeze on her larboard bow, and begins to take the chain 
more freely. Remember that precious beings depend on us 
for safety!&quot; 

&quot; Ay, ay, sir ; light up, it is. I feel quite a concern for 
the ladies, sir, and more especially for the stores we abandon 
to the underwriters. A better-found ship never came out of 
St. Catherine s Docks or the East River, particularly in the 
pantry department ; and I wonder what these wretches will 
do with her. They will be quite abashed with her con 
veniences, sir, and unable to enjoy them. Poor Toast, too ! 
he will have a monstrous unpleasant time with the muscle- 
men; for he never eats fish; and has quite a genteel and 
27* 


318 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

ameliorated way with him. I shouldn t wonder if he forgot 
all I have taken so much pains to teach him, sir, unless he s 
dead ; in which case it will be of no use to him in another 
world.&quot; 

&quot; That will do,&quot; interrupted Paul, ceasing his labour 
&quot; the ship is aground from forward aft. We will now hurry 
the spars and sails into the boat, and let the ladies get into 
her.&quot; 

In order that the reader may better understand the present 
situation of the ship, it may be necessary to explain what 
Mr. Powis and the steward had been doing all this time. 
By paying out the chains, the ship had fallen farther astern, 
until she took the ground abaft on the edge of the sand-bank 
so often mentioned ; and, once fast at that end, her bows 
had fallen off, pressed by the wind, as long as the depth of 
the water would allow. She now lay aground forward and 
aft, with her starboard side to the reef, and the launch be 
tween the vessel and the naked sands was completely co 
vered from the observations and assaults of the barbarians 
by the former. 

Eve, Mademoiselle Viefville, and Mr. Effingham now got 
into the launch, while the others still remained in the ship to 
complete the preparation^. 

&quot; They get on fast with their raft,&quot; said Paul, while he 
both worked himself and directed the labour of the others, 
&quot; though we shall be safe here until they actually quit the 
rocks. Their spars will be certain to float down upon the 
ship ; but the movement will necessarily be slow, as the 
water is too deep to admit of setting, even if they had poles, 
of which I see none. Throw these spare sails on the roof 
of the launch, Saunders. They may be wanted before we 
reach a port, should God protect us long enough to effect so 
much. Pass two compasses also into the boat, with all the 
carpenter s tools that have been collected.&quot; 

While giving these orders, Paul was busied in sawing off 
the larger end of the pole-mizzen-top-gallant-mast, to convert 
it into a spar for the launch. This was done by the time 
he ceased speaking ; a step was made, and, jumping down 
on the roof of the boat, he cut out a hole to receive it, at a 
spot he had previously marked for that purpose. By the 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 319 

lime he had done, the spar was ready to be entered, and in 
another minute they had the satisfaction of seeing a very 
sufficient mast in its place. A royal was also stretched to 
its yard, and halyards, tack and sheet, being bent, every 
thing was ready to run up a sail at a moment s warning. As 
this supplied the means of motion, the gentlemen began to 
breathe more freely, and to bethink them of those minor 
comforts and essentials that in the hurry of such a scene 
would be likely to be overlooked. After a few more busy 
minutes, all was pronounced to be ready, and John Effing- 
ham began seriously to urge the party to quit the ship ; but 
Paul still hesitated. He strained his eyes in the direction of 
the wreck, in the vain hope of yet receiving succour from 
lhat quarter; but, of course, uselessly, as it was about the 
time when Captain Truck was warping off with his raft, in 
order to obtain an offing. Just at this moment a party of 
twenty Arabs got upon the spars, which they had brought 
together into a single body, and began to drift down slowly 
upon the ship. 

Paul cast a look about him to see if anything else that 
was useful could be found, and his eyes fell upon the gun. 
It struck him that it might be made serviceable as a scare 
crow in forcing their way through the inlet, and he deter 
mined to lodge it on the roof of the launch, for the present, 
at least, and to throw it overboard as soon as they got into 
rough water, if indeed they should be so fortunate as to get 
outside of the reef at all. The stay and yard tackles 
offered the necessary facilities, and he instantly slung the 
piece. A few rounds of the capstan lifted it from the deck, 
a few more bore it clear of the side, and then it was easily 
lowered on the roof, Saunders being sent into the boat to set 
up a stanchion beneath, in order that its weight might do no 
injury. 

The gentlemen at last got into the launch, with the ex 
ception of Paul, who still lingered in the ship watching the 
progress of the Arabs, and making his calculations for the 
future. 

It required great steadiness of nerve, perfect self-reliance, 
and an entire confidence in his resources and knowledge, 
for one to remain a passive spectator of the slow drift of the 


320 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

raft, while it gradually settled down on the ship. As Jt 
approached, Paul was seen by those on it, and, with the 
usual duplicity of barbarians, they made signs of amity and 
encouragement. These signs did not deceive the young man, 
however, who only remained to be a close observer of their 
conduct, thinking some useful hint might thus be obtained, 
though his calmness so far imposed on the Arabs that they 
even made signs to him to throw them a rope. Believing it 
now time to depart, he answered the signal favourably, and 
disappeared from their sight. 

Even in descending to the boat, this trained and coot 
young seaman betrayed no haste. His movements were 
quick; and everything was done with readiness and know 
ledge certainly, but no confusion or trepidation occasioned 
theloss of a moment. He hoisted the sail, brought down 
the tack, and then descended beneath the roof, having first 
hauled in the painter, and given the boat a long and vigo 
rous shove, to force it from the side of the vessel. By this 
last expedient he at once placed thirty feet of water between 
the boat and the Montauk, a space that the Arabs had no 
means of overcoming. As soon as he was beneath the roof 
the sheet was hauled in, and Paul seized the tiller ; which 
had been made, by means of a narrow cut in the boards, to 
play in one of the shutters. Mr. Sharp took a position in 
the bows, where he could see the sands and channels through 
the crevices, directing the other how to steer ; and just as a 
shout announced the arrival of the raft at the other side of 
the ship, the flap of their sail gave those in the boat the wel 
come intelligence that they had got so far from her cover 
us to feel the force of the wind. 


HOMEWARD BOU1VI*. 321 


CHAPTER XXIV. 


Speed, gallant bark ! richer cargo in thine, 
Than Brazilian gem, or Peruvian mine; 
Ar.d tiie treasures thou bearest thy destiny wait, 
For they, if thou perish, must share in thy fate. 

PARK 

THE departure of the boat was excellently timed. Had 
it left the side of the ship while the Arabs on the raft were 
unoccupied, and at a little distance, it would have been ex 
posed to their fire ; for at least a dozen of those who boarded 
had muskets ; whereas the boat now glided away to lee 
ward, while they were busy in getting up her side, or were 
so near the ship as not to be able to see the launch at all. 
When Paul Powis, who was looking astern through a 
crevice, saw the first Arab on the deck of the Montauk, the 
launch was already near a cable s length from her, running 
with a fresh and free wind into one of the numerous little 
channels that intersected the naked banks of sand. The un 
usual construction of the boat, with its enclosed roof, and 
the circumstance that no one was visible on board her, had 
the effect to keep the barbarians passive, until distance put 
her beyond the reach of danger. A few muskets were dis 
charged, but they were fired at random, and in the bravado 
of a semi-savage state of teeling. 

Paul kept the launch running off free, until he was near 
a mile from the ship, when, finding he was approaching the 
reef to the northward and eastward, and that a favourable 
sandbank lay a short distance ahead, he put down the helm, 
let the sheet fly, and the boat s forefoot shot upon the sands. 
By a little management, the launch was got broadside to the 
bank, the water being sufficiently deep, and, when it was 
secured, the females were enabled to land through the open- 
ing of a shutter. 

The change from the apparent hopelessness of their situ 
ation, was so great, as to render the whole party compara 
tively happy. Paul and John Effingham united in affirming 


3 22 HOWEWAR1&amp;gt; 

It would be quite possible to reach one of the islands to lee 
ward in so good a boat, and that they ought to deem them 
selves fortunate, under the circumstances, in being the 
masters of a little bark so well found in every essential. 
Kve and Mademoiselle Viefville, who had fervently returned 
their thanks to the Great Ruler of events, while in the boat, 
walked about the hard sand with even a sense of enjoy 
ment, and smiles began again to brighten the beautiful fea 
tures of the first. Mr. Effingham declared, with a grateful 
heart, that in no park, or garden, had he ever before met 
with a promenade that seemed so delightful as this spot of 
naked and moistened sand, on the sterile coast of the Great 
Desert. Its charm was its security, for its distance from 
every point that could be approached by the Arabs, rendered 
it, in their eyes, a paradise. 

Paul Powis, however, though he maintained a cheerful 
air, and the knowledge that he had been so instrumental in 
saving the party lightened his heart of a load, and disposed 
him even to gaiety, was not without some lingering remains 
of uneasiness. He remembered the boats of the Dane, and, 
as he thought it more than probable Captain Truck had 
fallen into the hands of the barbarians, he feared that the 
latter might yet find the means to lay hands on themselves. 
While he was at work fitting the rigging, and preparing a 
jigger, with a view to render the launch more manageable, 
he cast frequent uneasy glances to the northward, with a 
feverish apprehension that one of the so-long-wished-for 
boats might at length appear. Their friends he no longer 
expected, but his fears were all directed towards the prema 
ture arrival of enemies from that quarter. None appeared, 
however, and Saunders actually lighted a fire on the bank, 
and prepared the grateful refreshment of tea for the whole 
party ; none of which had tasted food since morning, though 
it was now drawing near night. 

&quot; Our caterers,&quot; said Paul, smiling, as he east his eyes 
over the repast which Ann Sidley had spread on the roof of 
the boat, where they were all seated on stools, boxes, and 
trunks, &quot; our caterers have been of the gentler sex, as any 
one may see, for we have delicacies that are fitter for a ban* 
lhan a desert.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 2?1 

&quot;T thought Miss Eve would relish them, sir,&quot; Nanny 
meekly excused herself by saying ; &quot; she is not much ac 
customed to a coarse diet , and mameraelle, too, likes nice 
ties, as I believe is the case with all of French extraction.&quot; 

Eve s eyes glistened, though she felt it .necessary to say 
something by way of apology. 

&quot; Poor Ann has been so long accustomed to humour the 
caprices of a petted girl,&quot; she said, &quot; that I fear those who 
will have occasion for all their strength may be the sufferers. 
i should regret it for ever, Mr. Powis, if you, who are every 
way of so much importance to us, should not find the food 
you required.&quot; 

&quot; I have very inadvertently and unwittingly drawn down 
upon myself the suspicion of being one of Mr. Monday s 
gourmets, a plain roast and boiled person,&quot; the young man 
answered laughingly, &quot; when it was merely my desire to 
express the pleasure I had in perceiving that those whose 
comfort and ease are of more account than any thing else, 
have been so well cared for. I could almost starve with 
satisfaction, Miss Effingham, if I saw you free from suffer 
ing under the extraordinary circumstances in which we are 
placed.&quot; 

Eve looked grateful, and the emotion excited by this 
speech restored all that beauty which had so lately been 
chilled by fear. 

&quot; Did I not hear a dialogue between you and Mr. Saun- 
ders touching the merits of sundry stores that had been left 
in the ship?&quot; asked John Effingham, turning to Paul by way 
of relieving his cousin s distress. 

&quot; Indeed you might ; he relieved the time we were rousing 
at the chains with a beautiful Jeremiad on the calamities of 
the lockers. I fancy, steward, that you consider the mis 
fortunes of the pantry as the heaviest disaster that has be- 
fallen the Montauk !&quot; 

Saunders seldom smiled. In this particular he resembled 
Captain Truck ; the one subduing all light emotions from an 
inveterate habit of serious comicality, and the responsibility 
of command ; and the other having lost most of his disposi 
tion to merriment, as the cart-horse loses his propensity to 
kick, from being overworked. The steward, moreover, had 


324 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

taken up the conceit that it was indicative of a &quot; nigger&quot; to 
be merry; and, between dignity, a proper regard to his 
colour which was about half-way between that of a Gold 
Coast importation, and a rice-plantation overseer, down with 
the fever in his third season and dogged submission to un- 
mitfgated calls on his time, the prevailing character of the 
poor fellow s physiognomy was that of a dolorous sentimen 
tality. He believed himself to be materially refined by hav 
ing had so much intimate communication with gentlemen 
and ladies suffering under sea-sickness, and he knew that 
no man in the ship could use language like that he had 
always at his finger s ends. While so strongly addicted to 
melancholy, therefore, he was fond of hearing himself talk ; 
and, palpably encouraged as he had now been by John 
Effingham and Paul, and a little emboldened by the fami 
liarity of a shipwreck, he did not hesitate about mingling in 
the discourse, though holding the Effinghams habitually in 
awe. 

&quot; I esteem it a great privilege, ladies and gentlemen,&quot; he 
observed, as soon as Paul ceased, to have the honour of 
being wracked (for so the steward, in conformity with the 
Doric of the forecastle, pronounced the word,) in such com 
pany. I should deem it a disgrace to be cast away in some 
society I could name, although I will predicate, as we say in 
America, nothing on their absence. As to what inwolves 
the stores, it surgested itself to me that the ladies would like 
delicate diet, and I intermated as much to Mrs. Sidley ana 
t other French waiting-woman. Do you imagine, gentle 
men, that the souls of the dead are permitted to look back 
at such ewents of this life as touches their own private con 
cerns and feelings ?&quot; 

&quot; That would depend, I should think, steward, on the 
nature of the employment of the souls themselves,&quot; returned 
John Effingham. &quot;There must be certain souls to which any 
occupation would be more agreeable than that of looking 
jehind them. But, may I ask why you inquire?&quot; 

&quot; Because, Mr. John Effingham, sir, I do not believe Cap 
tain Truck can ever be happy in heaven, as long as the ship 
is in the hands of the Arabs ! If she had been honourably 

H fairly wracked, and the captain suffercated by drown- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 325 

ing, lie could go to sleep like another Christian ; but, I do 
think, sir, if there be any special perdition for seamen, it 
must be to see their vessel rummaged by Arabs. I ll war 
rant, now, those blackguards have had their fingers in every 
thing already ; sugar, chocolate, raisins, coffee, cakes, and 
all! I wonder who they think would like to use articles 
they have handled ! And there is poor Toast, gentlemen, 
an aspiring and improving young man ; one who had the 
materials of a good steward in him, though I can hardly say 
they were completely deweloped. I did look forward to the 
day when I could consign him to Mr. Leach as my own 
predecessor, when Captain Truck and I should retire, as 1 
have no doubt we should have done on the same day, but 
for this distressing accident. I dewoutly pray that Toast is 
deceased, for I would rather any misfortune should befal him 
in the other world than that he should be compelled to asso 
ciate with Arab niggers in this. Dead or alive, ladies, I am 
an advocate for a man s keeping himself respectable, and in 
proper company.&quot; 

So elastic had the spirits of the whole become by their 
unlooked-for escape, that Saunders was indulged to the top 
of his humour, and while he served the meal, passing 
between his fire on the sands and the roof of the launch, he 
enjoyed a heartier gossip than any he had had since they 
left the dock; not even excepting those sniggering scenes 
with Mr. Toast in the pantry, in which he used to unbend 
himself a little, forgetting his dignity as steward in thi 
native propensities of the black. 

Paul Powis entered but a moment into the trifling, for 01 
him rested the safety of all. He alone could navigate, o? 
even manage the boat in rough water ; and, while the other- 
confided so implicitly in his steadiness and skill, he felt tht 
usual burthen of responsibility. When the supper wa. 1 ? 
ended, and the party were walking up and down the little 
islet of sand, he took his station on the roof therefore, ana 
examined the proceedings of the Arabs with the glass ; Mr. 
Sharp, with a species of chivalrous self-denial that was noi 
lost on his companion, foregoing the happiness of walking 
at the side of Eve, to remain near him. 

&quot; The wretches hnve laid waste the cabins already !&quot; ob 
28 


326 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

served Mr. Sharp, when Paul had been looking at the; ship 
some little time. &quot; That which it took months to produce 
they will destroy in an hour.&quot; 

&quot; I Jo not see that,&quot; returned Paul ; &quot; there are but about 
fifty in the ship, and their efforts seem to be directed to haul 
ing her over against the rocks. They have no means of 
landing their plunder where she lies ; and I suspect there is 
a sort of convention that all are to start fair. One or two, 
who appear to be chiefs, go in and out of the cabins ; but 
the rest are actively engaged in endeavouring to move the 
ship.&quot; 

&quot; And with what success ?&quot; 

&quot; None, apparently. It exceeds their knowledge of me 
chanics to force so heavy a mass from its position. The 
wind has driven the ship firmly on the bank, and nothing 
short of the windlass, or capstan, can remove her. These 
ignorant creatures have got two or three small ropes between 
the vessel and the reef, and are pulling fruitlessly at both 
ends ! But our chief concern will be to find an outlet into 
the ocean, when we will make the best of our way towards 
the Cape de Verds.&quot; 

Paul now commenced a long and close examination of the 
reef, to ascertain by what openings he might get the launch 
on the outside. To the northward of the great inlet there 
was a continued line of rocks, on which he was sorry to 
perceive armed Arabs beginning to show themselves; a sign 
that the barbarians still entertained the hope of capturing the 
party. Southward of the inlet there were many places in 
which a boat might pass at half-tide, and he trusted to getting 
through one of them as soon as it became dark. As the es 
cape in the boat could not have been foreseen, the Arabs had 
not yet brought down upon them the boats of the wreck ; 
but should morning dawn and find them still within the reef, 
he saw no hope of final escape against boats that would pos 
sess the advantage of oars, ignorant as the barbarians might 
be of their proper use. 

Every thing was now ready. The interior of the launch 
was divided into two apartments by counterpanes, trunks, 
and boxes ; the females spreading their mattresses in the for 
ward room, and the males in the other. Some of those pro- 


HOMtiWARD BOU. 

found interpreters of the law, who illustrate legislation by 
the devices of trade, had shipped in the Montauk several 
hundred rude leaden busts of Napoleon, with a view to savt 
the distinction in duties between the metal manufactured and 
the metal unmanufactured. Four or five of these busts had 
been struck into the launch as ballast. They were now 
snugly stowed, together with the water, and all the heavier 
articles, in the bottom of the boat. The jigger had been 
made and bent, and a suitable mast was stepped by means 
of the roof. In shorty every provision for comfort or safety 
that Paul could think of had been attended to ; and every 
thing was in readiness to re-embark as soon as the proper 
hour should arrive. 

The gentler portion of the party were seated on the edge 
of the roof, watching the setting sun, and engaged in a dis 
course with feelings more attempered to their actual condi 
tion than had been the case immediately after their escape. 
The evening had a little of that wild and watery aspect 
which, about the same hour, had given- Captain Truck so- 
much concern, but the sun dipped gorgeously into the liquid 
world of the West, and the whole scene, including the end 
less desert, the black reef, the stranded ship, and the move 
ments of the bustling Arabs, was one of gloomy grandeur- 

&quot; Could we foretell the evemts of a month,&quot; said John- 
Effingham, &quot; with what different feelings from the present 
would life be chequered! When we left London, the twenty 
days since, our eyes and minds were filled with the move- i 
ments, cares, refinements, and interest of a great and po 
lished capital, and here we sit, houseless wanderers, gazing, 
at an eventide on the coast of Africa ! In this way, young 
men, and young ladies too, will you find, as life glides away r 
that the future will disappoint the expectations of the present 
moment !&quot; 

&quot; All futures are not gloomy, cousin Jack,&quot; said Eve ; 
&quot; nor is all hope doomed to meet with disappointment. A 
merciful God cares for us when we are reduced to despair 
on our own account, and throws a ray of unexpected light 
on our darkest hours. Certainly we, of all his creatures, 
ought not to deny this !&quot; 

* I do not deny it. We have been rescued in a manne? 


328 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

BO simple as to seem unavoidable, and yet so unexpected 
as to be almost miraculous. Had not Mr. Blunt, or Mr. 
Powis, as you call him although I am not in the secret 
of the masquerade but, had not this gentleman been a 
seaman, it would have surpassed all our means to get this 
boat into the water, or even to use her properly were she 
even launched. I look upon his profession as being tne 
first great providential interference, or provision, in our be 
half; and his superior skill and readiness in that profes 
sion as a circumstance of no less importance to us.&quot; 

Eve was silent ; but the glow in the western sky was 
scarcely more radiant and bright than the look she cast on 
the subject of the remark. 

&quot; It is no great merit to be a seaman, for the trade is 
like another, a mere matter of practice and education,&quot; 
observed Paul, after a moment of awkward hesitation. 
&quot; If, as you say, I have been instrumental in serving you, 
I shall never regret the accidents cruel accidents of my 
early life I had almost called them that cast my fortunes 
so early on the ocean.&quot; 

A falling pin would have been heard, and all hoped the 
young man would proceed; but he chose to be silent. 
Sounders happened to overhear the remark, for he was 
aiding Ann Sidley in the boat, and he took up the subject 
where it was left by the other, in a little aside with his 
companion. 

&quot; It is a misfortune that Mr. Dodge is not here to ques 
tion the gentleman,&quot; said the steward to his assistant, 
&quot; and then we might hear more of his adwentures, which, I 
make no doubt, have been werry pathetic and romantical. 
Mr. Dodge is a genuine inquisitor, Mistress Ann ; not such 
an inquisitor as burns people and flays them in Spain, 
where I have been, but such an inquisitor as torments peo 
ple, and of whom we have lots in America.&quot; 

&quot;Let the poor man rest in peace,&quot; said Nanny, sighing 
&quot; He s gone to his great account, steward ; and I feai. 
we shall none of us make as good a figure as we might at 
the final settling. Besides Miss Eve, I never knew a mor 
tal that wasn t more or less a sinner. 

&quot;So they all say; and T must allow that my experience 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 329 

leans to the wicked side of the question. Captain Truck, 
now, was a worthy man ; but he had his faults, as well as 
Toast. In the first place he would swear when things 
took him aback ; and then, he had no prewarication about 
speaking his mind of a fellow-creature, if the coiTee hap 
pened to be thick, or the poultry didn t take fat kindly. 
I ve known him box the compass with oaths if the ship 
was got in irons.&quot; 

&quot; It s very sinful ; and it is to be feared that the poor 
man was made to think of all this in his latter moments.&quot; 

&quot; If the Arabs undertook to cannibalize him, 1 think he 
must have given it to them right and left,&quot; continued Saun- 
ders, wiping an eye, for between him and the captain there 
had existed some such affection as the prisoner comes to 
feel for the handcuffs with which he amuses his ennui, 
&quot; some of his oaths would choke a dog.&quot; 

&quot; Well, let him rest let him rest. Providence is kind , 
and the poor man may have repented in season.&quot; 

&quot; And Toast, too ! I m sure, Mrs. Ann, I forgive Tomst 
all the little mistakes he made, from the bottom of my heart , 
and particularly that affair of the beefsteak that he let fall 
into the coffee the morning that Captain Truck took me so 
flat aback about it ; and I pray most dewoutly that the cap 
tain, now he has dropped this mortal coil, and that there is 
nothing left of him but soul, may not find it out, lest it should 
breed ill-blood between them in heaven.&quot; 

&quot; Steward, you scarcely know what you say,&quot; interrupted 
Ann, shocked at his ignorance, &quot; and I will speak of it no 
more.&quot; 

Mr. Saunders was compelled to acquiesce, and he amused 
himself by listening to what was said by those on the roof. 
As Paul did not choose to explain farther, however, the con 
versation was resumed as if he had said nothing. They 
talked of their escape, their hopes, and of the supposed fate 
of the rest of the party ; the discourse leaving a feeling of 
sadness on all, that harmonized with the melancholy, but not 
unpicturesque, scene in which they were placed. At length 
the night set in ; and as it threatened to be dark and damp, 
the ladies early made their arrangements to retire. The 
gentlemen remained on the sands much later ; and it was 
28* 


330 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

ten o clock before Paul Powis and Mr. Sharp, who had as 
sumed the watch, were left alone. 

This was about an hour later than the period already de 
scribed as the moment when Captain Truck disposed him 
self to sleep in the launch of the Dane. The weather had 
sensibly altered in the brief interval, and there were signs 
that, to the understanding of our young seaman, denoted a 
change. The darkness was intense. So deep and pitchy 
black, indeed, had the night become, that even the land was 
no longer to be distinguished, and the only clues the two 
gentlemen had to its position were the mouldering watch- 
fires of the Arab camp, and the direction of the wind. 

&quot; We will now make an attempt,&quot; said Paul, stopping in 
his short walk on the sand, and examining the murky vault 
over head. &quot; Midnight is near ; and by two o clock the tide 
will be entirely up. It is a dark night to thread these nar 
row channels in, and to go out upon the ocean, too, in so 
frail a bark ! But the alternative is worse.&quot; 

&quot; Would it not be better to allow the water to rise still 
higher ? I see by these sands that it has not yet done coming 
in.&quot; 

&quot; There is not much tide in these low latitudes, and the 
little rise that is left may help us off a bank, should we strike 
one. If you will get upon the roof, I will bring in the grap 
nels and force the boat off.&quot; 

Mr. Sharp complied, and in a few minutes the launch was 
floating slowly away from the hospitable bank of sand. Paul 
hauled out the jigger, a small sprit-sail, that kept itself close- 
hauled from being fastened to a stationary boom, and a little 
mast stepped quite aft, the effect of which was to press the 
boat against the wind. This brought the launch s head up, 
and it was just possible to see, by close attention, that they 
had a slight motion through the water. 

&quot; I quit that bank of sand as one quits a tried friend,&quot; 
said Paul, all the conversation now being in little more 
than whispers: &quot;when near it, I know where we are; 
but presently we shall be absolutely lost in this intense 
darkness.&quot; 

&quot; We have the fires of the Arabs for lighthouses still.&quot; 

u They may give us some faint notions of our position ; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 331 

but light like that is a very treacherous guide in so dark a 
night. We have little else to do but to keep an ey&amp;lt;i on the 
water, and to endeavour to get to windward.&quot; 

Paul set the lug-sail, into which he had converted the 
royal, and seated himself directly in the eyes of the boat, 
with a leg hanging down on each side of the cutwater. He 
had rigged lines to the tiller, and with one in each hand he 
steered, as if managing a boat with yoke-lines. Mr. Sharp 
was seated at hand, holding the sheet of the mainsail ; a boat- 
hook and a light spar lying on the roof near by, in readiness 
to be used should they ground. 

While on the bank, Paul had observed that, by keeping 
the boat near the wind, he might stretch through one of the 
widest of the channels for near two miles unless disturbed 
by currents, and that, when at its southern end, he should 
be far enough to windward to fetch the inlet, but for the 
banks of sand that might lie in his way. The distance had 
prevented his discerning any passage through the reef at the 
farther end of this channel ; but, the boat drawing only two 
feet of water, he was not without hopes of being able to find 
one. A chasm, that was deep enough to prevent the pas- 
sage of the Arabs when the tide was in, would, he thought, 
certainly suffice for their purpose. The progress of the boat 
was steady, and reasonably fast ; but it was like moving in 
a mass of obscurity. The gentleman watched the watei 
ahead intently, with a view to avoid the banks, but with lit 
tle success ; for, as they advanced, it was merely one pile 
of gloom succeeding another. Fortunately the previous ob 
servation of Paul availed them, and for more than half an 
hour their progress was uninterrupted. 

&quot; They sleep in security beneath us,&quot; said Paul, &quot; while 
we are steering almost at random. This is a strange and 
hazardous situatien in which we are placed. The obscurity 
renders all the risks double.&quot; 

&quot; By the watch-fires, we must have nearly crossed the 
bay, and I should think we are now quite near the southern 
reef.&quot; 

&quot; I think the same ; but I like not this baffling of the 
wind. It comes fresher at moments, but it is in puffs, and 1 
fear there will be a shift It is now my best pilot.&quot; 


332 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

That and the fires.&quot; 

&quot; The fires are treacherous always. It looks darker than 
ever ahead !&quot; 

The wind ceased blowing altogether, and the sail fell in 
heavily. Almost at the same moment the launch lost its 
way, and Paul had time to thrust the boot-hook forward just 
in season to prevent its striking a rock. 

&quot; This is a part of the reef, then, that is never covered,&quot; 
said he. &quot; If you will get on the rocks and hold the boat, I 
will endeavour to examine the place for a passage. Were 
we one hundred feet to the southward and westward, we 
should be in the open ocean, and comparatively safe.&quot; 

Mr. Sharp complied, and Paul descended carefully on the 
reef, feeling his way in the intense darkness by means of the 
boat-hook. He was absent ten minutes, moving with great 
caution, as there was the danger of his falling into the sea 
at every step. His friend began to be uneasy, and the whole 
of the jeopardy of their situation presented itself vividly to 
his mind in that brief space of time, should accident befall 
their only guide. He was looking anxiously in the direction 
in which Paul had disappeared, when he felt a gripe of his 
arm. 

&quot;Breathe even with care!&quot; whispered Paul hurriedly. 
&quot; These rocks are covered with Arabs, who have chosen to 
remain on the dry parts of the reef, in readiness for their 
plunder in the morning. Thank Heaven ! I have found you 
again ; for I was beginning to despair. To have called to 
you would have been certain capture, as eight or ten of the 
barbarians are sleeping within fifty feet of us. Get on the 
roof with the least possible noise, and leave the rest to me. 

As soon as Mr. Sharp was in the boat, Paul gave it a 
violent shove from the rocks, and sprang on the roof at the 
same moment. This forced the launch astern, and procured 
a momentary safety. But the wind had shifted. It now 
came baffling, and in puffs, from the Desert, a circumstance 
that brought them again to leeward. 

&quot; This is the commencement of the trades,&quot; said Paul , 
&quot; they have been interrupted by the late gale, but are return 
ing. Were we outside the reef, our prayers could not be 
more kindly answered than by giving us this very wind ; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 333 

but here, where we are, it comes unseasonably. Ha ! this, 
at least, helps her !&quot; 

A puff from the land filled the sails, and the ripple of the 
water at the stern was just audible. The helm was at 
tended to, and the boat drew slowly from the reef and a- 
head. 

&quot;We have all reason for gratitude! That danger, at 
least, is avoided. Ha ! the boat is aground !&quot; 

Sure enough the launch was on the sands. They were 
still so near the rocks, as to require the utmost caution 
in their proceedings. Using the spar with great care, the 
gentlemen discovered that the boat hung astern, and there 
remained no choice but patience. 

&quot; It is fortunate the Arabs have no dogs with them on 
the rocks : you hear them howling incessantly in their 
camps.&quot; 

&quot; It is, truly. Think you we can ever find the inlet in 
this deep obscurity ?&quot; 

&quot; It is our only course. By following the rocks we 
should be certain to discover it ; but you perceive they are 
already out of sight, though they cannot be thirty fathoms 
from us. The helm is free, and the boat must be clear of 
the bottom again. This last puff has helped us.&quot; 

Another silence succeeded, during which the launch 
moved slowly onward, though whither, neither of the gen 
tlemen could tell. But a single fire remained in sight, and 
that glimmered like a dying blaze. At times the wind 
came hot and arid, savouring of the Desert, and then in 
tervals of death-like calm would follow. Paul watched the 
boat narrowly for half an hour, turning every breath of air 
to the best account, though he was absolutely ignorant of 
his position. The reef had not been seen again, and three 
several times they grounded, the tide as often floating them 
off. The course, too, had been repeatedly varied. The re 
sult was that painful and profound sensation of helpless 
ness that overcomes us all when the chain of association is 
broken, and reason becomes an agent less useful than in 
stinct. 

&quot; The last fire is out,&quot; whispered Paul. &quot; I fear that tho 
day will dawn and find us still within the reef.&quot; 


334 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; I see an object near us. Can it be a high bank ?&quot; 

The wind had entirely ceased, and the boat was almost 
without motion. Paul saw a darkness more intense even 
than common ahead of him, and he leaned forward, natu 
rally raising a hand before him in precaution. Something 
he touched, he knew not what ; but feeling a hard smooth 
surface, that he at first mistook for a rock, he raised his 
eyes slowly, and discerned, by the little light that lingered 
in the vault of heaven, a dim tracery that he recognized. 
His hand was on the quarter of the ship ! 

Tis the Montauk !&quot; he whispered breathlessly, &quot; and 
her decks must be covered with Arabs. Hist!-~do you 
hear nothing ?&quot; 

They listened, and smothered voices, those of the watch, 
mingled with low laughter, were quite audible. This was 
a crisis to disturb the coolness of one less trained and 
steady than Paul ; but he preserved his self-possession. 

&quot; There is good as well as evil in this,&quot; he whispered. 
&quot;I now know our precise position ; and, God be praised ! 
the inlet is near, could we but reach it. By a strong shove 
we can always force the launch from the vessel s side, and 
prevent their boarding us ; and I think, with extreme cau 
tion, we may even haul the boat past the ship undetected.&quot; 

This delicate task was undertaken. It was necessary to 
avoid even a tread heavier than common, a fall of the boat- 
hook, or a collision with the vessel, as the slightest noise be 
came distinctly audible in the profound stillness of deep night. 
Once enlightened as to his real position, however, Paul saw 
with his mind s eye obstructions that another might not have 
avoided. He knew exactly where to lay his hand, when to 
bear off, and when to approach nearer to the side of the ship, 
as he warily drew the boat along the massive hull. The 
yard of the launch luckily leaned towards the reef, and 
offered no impediment. In this manner, then, the two gen 
tlemen hauled their boat as far as the bows of the ship, and 
Paul was on the point of giving a last push, with a view to 
shove it to as great a distance possible ahead of the packet, 
when its movement was suddenly and violently arrested. 


HOMEWARD BOUND 335 


CHAPTER XXV. 


And when the hours of rest 
Come, like a calm upon the mid-sea brine 

Hushing its billowy breast 
The quiet of that moment, too, is thine; 

It breathes of him who keeps 
The vast and helpless city while it sleeps. 

BRYANT. 

IT was chilling to meet with this unexpected and sudden 
check at so critical a moment. The first impression was, 
that some one of the hundreds of Arabs, who were known 
to be near, had laid a hand on the launch ; but this fear 
vanished on examination. No one was visible, and the side 
of the boat was untouched. The boat-hook could find no 
impediment in the water, and it was not possible that they 
could again be aground. Raising the boat-hook over his 
head, Paul soon detected the obstacle. The line used by the 
barbarians in their efforts to move the ship was stretched 
from the forecastle to the reef, and it lay against the boat s 
mast. It was severed with caution ; but the short end slip 
ped from the hand of Mr. Sharp, who cut the rope, and fell 
into the water. The noise was heard, and the watch on the 
deck of the ship made a rush towards her side. 

No time was to be lost ; but Paul, who still held the outer 
end of the line, pulled on it vigorously, hauling the boat 
swiftly from the ship, and, at the same time, a little in ad 
vance. As soon as this was done, he dropped the line and 
seized the tiller-ropes, in order to keep the launch s head in 
a direction between the two dangers the ship and the reef. 
This was not done without some little noise ; the footfall on 
the roof, and the plash of the water when it received the 
line, were audible ; and even the element washing under the 
bows of the boat was heard. The Arabs of the ship called 
to those on the reef, and the latter answered. They took 
the alarm, and awoke their comrades, for, knowing as they 
did, that the party of Captain Truck was still at liberty, they 
apprehended an attack. 


336 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

The clamour and uproar that succeeded were terrific. 
Muskets were discharged at random, and the noises from 
the camp echoed the cries and tumult from the vessel and 
the rocks. Those who had been sleeping in the boat were 
rudely awaked, and Saunders joined in the cries through 
sheer fright. But the two gentlemen on deck soon caused 
their companions to understand their situation, and to ob 
serve a profound silence. 

&quot; They do not appear to see us,&quot; whispered Paul to Eve, 
as he bent over, so as to put his head at an open window ; 
&quot; and a return of the breeze may still save us. There is a 
great alarm among them and no doubt they know we are 
not distant ; but so long as they cannot tell precisely where, 
we are comparatively safe. Their cries do us good service 
as land-marks, and you may be certain I shall not approach 
the spots were they are heard. Pray Heaven for a wind, 
dearest Miss Effingham, pray Heaven for a wind !&quot; 

Eve silently, but fervently did pray, while the young 
man gave all his attention again to the boat. As soon as 
they were clear of the lee of the ship, the baffling puffs 
returned, and there were several minutes of a steady 
little breeze, during which the boat sensibly moved away 
from the noises of the ship. On the reef, however, the 
clamour still continued, and the gentlemen were soon satis 
fied that the Arabs had stationed themselves along the 
whole line of rocks, wherever the latter were bare at high 
water, as was now nearly the case, to the northward as 
well as to the southward of the opening. 

&quot; The tide is still entering by the inlet,&quot; said Paul, &quot; and 
we have its current to contend with. It is not strong, but 
a trifle is important at a moment like this !&quot; 

&quot; Would it not be possible to reach the bank inside of 
us, and to shove the boat ahead by means of these light 
spars ?&quot; asked Mr. Sharp. 

The suggestion was a good one ; but Paul was afraid 
the noise in the water might reach the Arabs, and expose 
the party to their fire, as the utmost distance between tho 
reef and the inner bank at that particular spot did not 
exceed a hundred fathoms. At length another puff of air 
from the land pressed upon their sails, and the water once 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 337 

more rippled beneath the bows of the boat. Paul s heart 
beat hard, and as he managed the tiller-lines, he strained 
tois eyes uselessly in order to penetrate the massive-looking 
darkness. 

&quot; Surely,&quot; he said to Mr. Sharp, who stood constantly 
it his elbow, &quot; these cries are directly ahead of us I We 
ire steering for the Arabs !&quot; 

&quot; We have got wrong in the dark then. Lose not a 
noment to keep the boat away, for here to leeward there 
ire noises.&quot; 

As all this was self-evident, though confused in his 
reckoning, Paul put up the helm, and the boat fell off 
nearly dead before the wind. Her motion being now com 
paratively rapid, a few minutes produced an obvious change 
in the direction of the different groups of clamorous Arabs, 
though they also brought a material lessening in the force 
of the air. 

&quot; I have it !&quot; said Paul, grasping his companion almost 
convulsively by the arm. &quot; We are at the inlet, and 
heading, I trust, directly through it! You hear the cries 
on our right; they come from the end of the northern reef, 
while these on our left are from the end of the southern. 
The sounds from the ship, the direction of the land breeze, 
our distance all confirm it, and Providence again be 
friends us !&quot; 

&quot; It will be a fearful error should we be mistaken !&quot; 

&quot; We cannot be deceived, since nothing else will explain 
the circumstances. There! the boat feels the ground- 
swell a blessed and certain sign that we are at the inlet ! 
Would that this tide were done, or that we had more 
wind !&quot; 

Fifteen feverish minutes succeeded. At moments the 
puffs of night-air would force the boat ahead, and then 
again it was evident by the cries that she, fell astern under 
the influence of an adverse current. Neither was it easy 
to keep her on the true course, for the slightest variation 
from the direct line in a tide s way causes a vessel to sheer. 
To remedy the latter danger, Paul was obliged to watch his 
helm closely, having no other guide than the noisy and 
continued vociferations of the Arabs. 
29 


338 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; These liftings of the boat are full of hope,&quot; resumed 
Paul ; &quot; I think, too, that they increase.&quot; 

&quot; I perceive but little difference, though 1 would gladly 
see all you wish.&quot; 

&quot;I am certain the swell increases, and that the boat 
rises and falls more frequently. You will allow there is a 
swell?&quot; 

&quot; Quite obviously : I perceived it before we kept the boat 
away. This variable air is cruelly tantalizing !&quot; 

&quot; Sir George Templemore Mr. Powis,&quot; said a soft voice 
at a window beneath them. 

&quot;Miss Effingham!&quot; said Paul, so eager that he suffered 
the tiller-line to escape him. 

&quot;These are frightful cries! Shall we never be rid of 
them !&quot; 

&quot; If it depended on me on either of us they should dis 
tress you no more. The boat is slowly entering the inlet, 
but has to struggle with a head-tide. The wind baffles, and 
is light, or in ten minutes we should be out of danger.&quot; 

&quot; Out of this danger, but only to encounter another!&quot; 

&quot; Nay, I do not think much of the risk of the ocean in 
so stout a boat. At the most, we may be compelled to cut 
away the roof, which makes our little bark somewhat clumsy 
in appearance, though it adds infinitely to its comfort. I 
think we shall soon get the trades, before which our launch, 
with its house even, will be able to make good weather.&quot; 

&quot; We are certainly nearer those cries than before !&quot; 

Paul felt his cheek glow, and his hand hurriedly sought 
the tiller-line, for the boat had sensibly sheered towards the 
northern reef. A puff of air helped to repair his oversight, 
and all in the launch soon perceived that the cries were 
gradually but distinctly drawing more aft. 

&quot;The current lessens,&quot; said Paul, &quot;and it is full time; 
for it must be near high water. We shall soon feel it in our 
favour, when all will be safe !&quot; 

&quot; This is indeed blessed tidings ! and no gratitude can 
ever repay the debt we owe you, Mr. Powis !&quot; 

The puffs of air now required all the attention of Paul, 
for they again became variable, and at last the wind drew 
directly ahead in a continued current for half an hour. As 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 339 

soon as this change was felt, the sails were trimmed to it, 
and the boat began to stir the water under her bows. 

&quot; The shift was so sudden, that we cannot be mistaken in 
its direction,&quot; Paul remarked ; &quot; besides, those cries still 
serve as pilots. Never was uproar more agreeable.&quot; 

&quot; I feel the bottom with this spar !&quot; said Mr. Sharp sud 
denly. 

&quot;Merciful Providence protect and shield the weak and 
lovely &quot; 

&quot;Nay, I feel it no longer: we are already in deeper 
water.&quot; 

&quot; It was the rock on which the seamen stood when we 
entered !&quot; Paul exclaimed, breathing more freely. &quot; I like 
those voices settling more under our lee, too. We will keep 
this tack&quot; (the boat s head was to the northward) &quot; until we 
hit the reef, unless warned off again by the cries.&quot; 

The boat now moved at the rate of five miles in the hour, 
or faster than a man walks, even when in quick motion. Its 
rising and falling denoted the long heavy swell of the ocean, 
and the wash of water began to be more and more audible, 
as she settled into the sluggish swells. 

&quot; That sounds like the surf on the reef,&quot; continued Paul ; 
&quot; every thing denotes the outside of the rocks.&quot; 

&quot; God send it prove so !&quot; 

&quot; That is clearly a sea breaking on a rock ! It is awk 
wardly near, and to leeward, and yet it is sweet to the ear 
as music.&quot; 

The boat stood steadily on, making narrow escapes from 
jutting rocks, as was evinced by the sounds, and once or 
twice by the sight even ; but the cries shifted gradually, and 
were soon quite astern. Paul knew that the reef trended 
east soon after passing the inlet, and he felt the hope that 
they were fast leaving its western extremity, or the part that 
ran the farthest into the ocean ; after effecting which, there 
would . be more water to leeward, his own course being 
nearly north, as he supposed. 

The cries drew still farther aft, and more distant, and the 
sullen wash of the surf was no longer so near as to seem 
fresh and tangible. 

&quot; Hand me the lead and line, that lie at the foot of the 


340 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

mast, if you please,&quot; said Paul. &quot; Our water seems sensi 
bly to deepen, and the seas have become more regular.&quot; 

He hove a cast, and found six fathoms of water ; a proof, 
he thought, that they were quite clear of the reef. 

&quot; Now, dear Mr. Effingham, Miss Effingham, Mademoi 
selle,&quot; he cried cheerfully, &quot; now I believe we may indeed 
deem ourselves beyond the reach of the Arabs, unless a gale 
force us again on their inhospitable shores.&quot; 

&quot; Is it permitted to speak ?&quot; asked Mr. Effingham, who 
had maintained a steady but almost breathless silence. 

&quot; Freely : we are quite beyond the reach of the voice ; 
and this wind, though blowing from a quarter I do not like, 
is carrying us away from the wretches rapidly.&quot; 

It was not safe in the darkness, and under the occasional 
heaves of the boat, for the others to come on the roof; but 
they opened the shutters, and looked out upon the gloomy 
water with a sense of security they could not have deemed 
possible for people in their situation. The worst was over 
for the moment, and there is a relief in present escape that 
temporarily conceals future dangers. They could converse 
without the fear of alarming their enemies, and Paul spoke 
encouragingly of their prospects. It was his intention to 
stand to the northward until he reached the wreck, when, 
failing to get any tidings of their friends, they might make 
the best of their way to the nearest island to leeward. 

With this cheering news the party below again disposed 
themselves to sleep, while the two young men maintained 
their posts on the roof. 

&quot; We must resemble an ark,&quot; said Paul laughing, as he 
seated himself on a box near the stem of the boat, &quot; and I 
should think would frighten the Arabs from an attack, had 
they even the opportunity to make one. This house we 
carry will prove a troublesome companion, should we en 
counter a heavy and a head sea.&quot; 

&quot; You say it may easily be gotten rid of.&quot; 

&quot; Nothing would be easier, the whole apparatus being 
made to ship and unship. Before the wind we might carry 
it a long time, and it would even help us along ; but on a 
wind it makes us a little top-heavy, besides giving us a lee 
ward set. In the event of rain, or of bad weather of any 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 341 

port, it would be a treasure to us all, more especially to the 
females, and I think we had better keep it as long as pos 
sible.&quot; 

The half hour of breeze already mentioned sufficed to 
carry the boat some distance to the northward, when it 
failed, and the puffs from the land returned. Paul supposed 
they were quite two miles from the inlet, and, trying the 
lead, he found ten fathoms of water, a proof that they had 
also gradually receded from the shore. Still nothing but a 
dense darkness surrounded them, though there could no 
longer be the smallest doubt of their being in the open ocean. 

For near an hour the light baffling air came in puffs, as 
before, during which time the launch s head was kept, as 
near as the two gentlemen could judge, to the northward, 
making but little progress ; and then the breeze drew gra 
dually round into one quarter, and commenced blowing with 
a steadiness that they had not experienced before that night. 
Paul suspected this change, though he had no certain means 
of knowing it ; for as soon as the wind baffled, his course 
had got to be conjectural again. As the breeze freshened, 
the speed of the boat necessarily augmented, though she was 
kept always on a wind ; and after half an hour s progress, 
the gentlemen became once more uneasy as to the direction. 

&quot; It would be a cruel and awkward fate to hit the reef 
again,&quot; said Paul ; &quot; and yet I cannot be sure that we are 
not running directly for it.&quot; 

&quot; We have compasses : let us strike a light and look into 
the matter.&quot; 

&quot; It were better had we done this more early, for a light 
might now prove dangerous, should we really have altered 
the course in this intense darkness. There is no remedy, 
however, and the risk must be taken. I will first try the 
lead again.&quot; 

A cast was made., and the result was two and a half 
fathoms of water. 

&quot; Put the helm down !&quot; cried Paul, springing to the sheet : 
&quot; lose not a moment, but down with the helm !&quot; 

The boat did not work freely under her imperfect sail 
and with the roof she carried, and a moment of painful 
anxiety succeeded. Paul managed, however, to get a part 
of the sail aback, and he felt more secure. 
29* 


342 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; The boat has stern-way : shift the helm, Mr. Sharp.&quot; 

This was done, the yard was dipped, and the two young 
men felt a relief almost equal to that they had experienced 
on clearing the inlet, when they found the launch again 
drawing ahead, obedient to her rudder. 

&quot; We are near something, reef or shore,&quot; said Paul, 
standing with the lead-line in his hand, in readiness to 
heave. &quot; I think it can hardly be the first, as we hear no 
Arabs.&quot; 

Waiting a few minutes, he hove the lead, and, to his in 
finite joy, got three fathoms fairly. 

&quot; That is good news. We are hauling off the danger, 
whatever it may be,&quot; he said, as he felt the mark : * and 
now for the compass.&quot; 

Saunders was called, a light was struck, and the com 
passes were both examined. These faithful but mysterious 
guides, which have so long served man while they have 
baffled all his ingenuity to discover the sources of their 
power, were, as usual, true to their governing principle. 
The boat was heading north-north-west ; the wind was at 
north-east, and before they tacked they had doubtless been 
standing directly for the beach, from which they could not 
have been distant a half quarter of a mile, if so much. A 
few more minutes would have carried them into the break 
ers, capsized the boat, and most probably drowned all be 
low the roof, if not those on it. 

Paul shuddered as these facts forced themselves on his 
attention, and he determined to stand on his present course 
for two hours, when daylight would render his return to 
wards the land without danger. 

&quot; This is the trade,&quot; he said, &quot; and it will probably stand. 
We have a current to contend with, as well as a head-wind ; 
but I think we can weather the cape by morning, when we 
can get a survey of the wreck by means of the glass. If 
we discover nothing, I shall bear up at once for the Cape de 
Verds.&quot; 

The two gentlemen now took the helm in turns, he who 
slept fastening himself to the mast, as a precaution against 
being rolled into the sea by the motion of the boat. In fif 
teen fathoms water they tacked again, and stood to the east- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 343 

south-east, having made certain, by a fresh examinatior of 
the compass, that the wind stood in the same quarter as be 
fore. The moon rose soon after, and, although the morning 
was clouded and lowering, there was then sufficient light to 
remove all danger from the darkness. At length this long 
and anxious night terminated in the usual streak of day, 
which gleamed across the desert. 

Paul was at the helm, steering more by instinct than any 
thing else, and occasionally nodding at his post ; for two 
successive nights of watching and a day of severe toil had 
overcome his sense of danger, and his care for others. 
Strange fancies beset men at such moments ; and his busy 
imagination was running over some of the scenes of his 
early youth, when either his sense or his wandering fa 
culties made him hear the usual brief, spirited hail of, 

&quot; Boat ahoy !&quot; 

Paul opened his eyes, felt that the tiller was in his hand, 
and was about to close the first again, when the words were 
more sternly repeated, 

&quot; Boat ahoy ! what craft s that 1 Answer, or expect a 
shot !&quot; 

This was plain English, and Paul was wide awake in an 
instant. Rubbing his eyes, he saw a line of boats anchored 
directly on his weather bow, with a raft of spars riding 
astern. 

&quot; Hurrah!&quot; shouted the young man. &quot; This is Heaven s 
own tidings ! Are these the Montauk s ?&quot; 

&quot; Ay, ay. Who the devil are you ?&quot; 

The truth is, Captain Truck did not recognize his own 
launch in the royal, roof, and jigger. He had never before 
seen a boat afloat in such a guise ; and in the obscurity of 
the hour, and fresh awakened from a profound sleep, like 
Paul, his faculties were a little confused. But the latter 
soon comprehended the whole matter. He clapped his 
helm down, let fly the sheet, and in a minute the launch of 
the packet was riding alongside of the launch of the Dane. 
Heads were out of the shutters, and every boat gave up 
its sleepers, for the cry was general throughout the little 
flotilla. 

The party just arrived alone felt joy. They found those 


344 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

whom they had believed dead, or captives, alive and 1 ss, 
whereas the others now learned the extent of the misfortune 
that had befallen them. For a few minutes this contrast in 
feeling produced an awkward meeting ; but the truth soon 
brought all down to the same sober level. Captain Truck 
received the congratulations of his friends like one in a stu 
por ; Toast looked amazed as his friend Saunders shook his 
hand ; and the gentlemen who had been to the wreck met the 
cheerful greetings of those who had just escaped the Arabs 
like men who fancied the others mad. 

We pass over the explanations that followed, as every 
one will readily understand them. Captain Truck listened 
to Paul like one in a trance, and it was some time after the 
young man had done before he spoke. With a wish to 
cheer him, he was told of the ample provision of stores that 
had been brought off in the launch, of the trade winds that 
had now apparently set in, and of the great probability of 
their all reaching the islands in safety. Still the old man 
made no reply ; he got on the roof of his own launch, and 
paced backwards and forwards rapidly, heeding nothing. 
Even Eve spoke to him unnoticed, and the consolations 
offered by her father were not attended to. At length he 
stopped suddenly, and called for his mate. 

&quot;Mr. Leach?&quot; 

&quot; Sir.&quot; 

&quot; Here is a category for you !&quot; 

&quot; Ay, ay, sir ; it s bad enough in its way ; still we are 
better off than the Danes.&quot; 

&quot;You tell me, sir,&quot; turning to Paul, &quot;that these foul 
blackguards were actually on the deck of the ship ?&quot; 

&quot; Certainly, Captain Truck. They took complete posses 
sion ; for we had no means of keeping them off.&quot; 

&quot; And the ship is ashore ?&quot; 

&quot; Beyond a question.&quot; 

&quot;Bilged?&quot; 

&quot; I think not. There is no swell within the reef, and she 
lies on sand.&quot; 

&quot; We might have spared ourselves tho trouble, Leach, of 
culling these cursed spars, as if they had been so many 
toothpicks.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 345 

&quot;That we might) sir, 4 for they will not now serve as 
oven- wood, for want of the oven.&quot; 

&quot; A damnable category, Mr. Effingham ! I m glad you 
are safe, sir ; and you, too, my dear young lady God bless 
you ! God bless you ! It were better the whole line should 
be in their power than one like you !&quot; 

The old seaman s eyes filled as he shook Eve by the hand, 
and for a moment he forgot the ship. 

&quot;Mr. Leach?&quot; 

Sir.&quot; 

&quot; Let the people have their breakfasts, and bear a hand 
about it. We are likely to have a busy morning, sir. Lift 
the kedge, too, and let us drift down towards these gentry, 
and take a look at them. We have both wind and current 
with us now, and shall make quick work of it.&quot; 

The kedge was raised, the sails were all set, and, with 
the two launches lashed together, the whole line of boats 
and spars began to set to the southward at a rate that would 
bring them up with the inlet in about two hours. 

&quot; This is the course for the Cape de Verds, gentlemen,&quot; 
said the captain bitterly. &quot; We shall have to pass before 
our own door to go and ask hospitality of strangers. But 
let the people get their breakfasts, Mr. Leach ; just let the 
boys have one comfortable meal before they take to their 
oars.&quot; 

Eat himself, however, Mr. Truck would not. He chewed 
the end of a cigar, and continued walking up and down the 
roof. 

In half an hour the people had ended their meal, the day 
had fairly opened, and the boats and raft had made good 
progress. 

&quot;Splice the main-brace, Mr. Leach,&quot; said the captain, 
&quot; for we are a littled jammed. And you, gentlemen, do me 
the favour to step this way for a consultation. This much 
is due to your situation.&quot; 

Captain Truck assembled his male passengers in the stern 
of the Dane s launch, where he commenced the following 
address: - : ... 

&quot;Gentlemen,&quot; he said, &quot;every thing in this world tiaST 
its nature and its principles. This truth I hold you all to be 


346 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

loo well informed and well educated to deny. The nature 
of a traveller is to travel, and see curiosities ; the nature of 
old men is to think on the past, of a young man to hope for 
the future. The nature of a seaman is to stick by his ship, 
and of a ship to be treated like a vessel, and not to be ran 
sacked like a town taken by storm, or a nunnery that is 
rifled. You are but passengers, and doubtless have your 
own wishes and occupations, as I have mine. Your wishes 
are, beyond question, to be safe in New York among your 
friends; and mine are to get the Montauk there too, in as 
little time and with as little injury as possible. You have a 
good navigator among you ; and I now propose that you 
take the Montauk s launch, with such stores as are neces 
sary, and fill away at once for the islands, where, I pray 
God, you may all arrive in safety, and that when you reach 
America you may find all your relations in good health, and 
in no manner uneasy at this little delay. Your effects shall 
be safely delivered to your respective orders, should it please 
God to put it in the power of the line to honour your drafts.&quot; 

&quot; You intend to attempt recapturing the ship !&quot; exclaimed 
Paul. 

&quot; I do, sir,&quot; returned Mr. Truck, who, having thus far 
opened his mind, for the first time that morning gave a 
vigorous hem ! and set about lighting a cigar. &quot; We may 
do it, gentlemen, or we may not do it. If we do it, you will 
hear farther from me ; if we fail, why, tell them at home 
that we carried sail as long as a stitch would draw.&quot; 

The gentlemen looked at each other, the young waiting 
in respect for the counsel of the old, the old hesitating in 
deference to the pride and feelings of the young. 

&quot; We must join you in this enterprise, captain,&quot; said Mr. 
Sharp quietly, but with the manner of a man of spirit and 
nerve. 

&quot; Certainly, certainly,&quot; cried Mr. Monday; &quot; we ought to 
make a common affair of it ; as I dare say Sir George Tem- 
plemore will agree with me in maintaining ; the nobility and 
gentry are not often backward when their persons are to be 


The spurious baronet acquiesced in the proposal as readily 
as it had been made by him whom he had temporarily de- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 347 

pos(&amp;gt;&amp;lt;i ; tor, though a weak and a vain young man, he was 
fer from being a dastard. 

&quot; This is a serious business,&quot; observed Paul, &quot; and it 
ought to be ordered with method and intelligence. If we 
have a ship to care for, we have those also who are infinitely 


more precious &quot; 


Very true, Mr. Blunt, very true,&quot; interrupted Mr. Dodge, 
a little eagerly. &quot; It is my maxim to let well alone ; and I 
am certain shipwrecked people can hardly be better off and 
more comfortable than we are at this very moment. I dare 
say these gallant sailors, if the question was fairly put to 
them, would give it by a handsome majority in favour of 
things as they are. I am a conservative, captain and I 
think an appeal ought to be made to the ballot-boxes before 
we decide on a measure of so much magnitude.&quot; 

The occasion was too grave for the ordinary pleasantry, 
and this singular proposition was heard in silence, to Mr. 
Dodge s great disgust. 

&quot; I think it the duty of Captain Truck to endeavour to re 
take his vessel,&quot; continued Paul ; &quot; but the affair will be 
serious, and success is far from certain. The Montauk s 
launch ought to be left at a safe distance with all the females, 
and in prudent keeping ; for any disaster to the boarding 
party would probably throw the rest of the boats into the 
hands of the barbarians, and endanger the safety of those 
left in the launch. Mr. Effingham and Mr. John Effingham 
will of course remain with the ladies.&quot; 

The father assented with the simplicity of one who did 
not distrust his own motives, but the eagle-shaped features 
of his kinsman curled with a cool and sarcastic smile. 

&quot; Will you remain in the launch?&quot; the latter asked point 
edly, turning towards Paul. 

&quot; Certainly it would be greatly out of character were I 
to think of it. My trade is war ; and I trust that Captain 
Truck means to honour me with the command of one of the 
boats.&quot; 

&quot; I thought as much, by Jove !&quot; exclaimed the captain, 
seizing a hand which he shook with the utmost cordiality. 
&quot; I should as soon expect to see the sheet-anchor wink, or 
the best-bower give a mournful smile, as to see you duck ! 


348 HOMEWARD BOUND, 

Still, gentlemen, I am well aware of the. difference in otif 
situations. I ask no man to forget his duties to those on 
shore on my account ; and I fancy that my regular people, 
aided by Mr. Blunt, who can really serve me by his know 
ledge, will be as likely to do all that can be done as all of 
us united. It is not numbers that carry ships as much as 
spirit, promptitude, and resolution.&quot; 

&quot; But the question has not yet been put to the people,&quot; 
said Mr. Dodge, who was a little mystified by the word last 
used, which he had yet to learn was strictly technical as ap 
plied to a vessel s crew. 

&quot; It shall, sir,&quot; returned Captain Truck, &quot; and I beg you 
to note the majority. My lads,&quot; he continued, rising on a 
thwart, and speaking aloud, &quot; you know the history of the 
ship. As to the Arabs, now they have got her, they do not 
know how to sail her, and it is no more than a kindness to 
take her out of their hands. For this business I want volun 
teers ; those who are for the reef, and an attack, will rise up 
and cheer ; while they who like an offing have only to sit 
still and stay where they are.&quot; 

The words were no sooner spoken than Mr. Leach jumped 
up on the gunwale and waved his hat. The people rose as 
one man, and taking the signal from the mate, they gave 
three as hearty cheers as ever rung over the bottle. 

&quot; Dead against you, sir !&quot; observed the captain, nodding 
to the editor; &quot; and I hope you are now satisfied.&quot; 

&quot; The ballot might have given it the other way,&quot; mut 
tered Mr. Dodge; &quot;there can be no freedom of election 
without the ballot.&quot; 

No one, however, thought any longer of Mr. Dodge 01 
his scruples ; but the whole disposition for the attack was 
made with promptitude and caution. It was decided that 
Mr. Effingham and his own servant should remain in the 
launch; while the captain compelled his two mates to 
draw lots which of them should stay behind also, a navi 
gator being indispensable. The chance fell on the second 
mate, who submitted to his luck with an ill grace. 

A bust of Napoleon was cut up, and the pieces of lead 
were beaten as nearly round as possible, so as to form a 
dozen leaden balls, and a quantity of slugs, or langrage. 


HOMEWARD eotfiv0, 349 


The latter were put in canvas bags j while the keg of pow 
der was opened, a fl?nnel shirt or two were torn, and cart 
ridges were filled. Ammunition was also distributed to 
the people, and Mr. Sharp examined their arms. The gun 
was got off the roof of the Montauk s launch, and placed 
on a grating forward in that of the Dane* The sails and 
rigging were cleared out of the boat and secured on the 
raft when she was properly manned, and the command of 
her was given to Paul. 

The three other boats received their crews, with John 
Effingham at the head of one, the captain and his mate 
commanding the others. Mr. Dodge felt compelled to 
volunteer to go in the launch of the Dane, where Paul had 
now taken his station, though he did it with a reluctance 
that escaped the observation of no one who took the pains 
to observe him. Mr. Sharp and Mr. Monday were with 
the captain, and the false Sir George Templemore went 
with Mr. Leach. These arrangements completed, the 
whole party waited impatiently for the wind and current to 
set them down towards the reef, the rocks of which by this 
time were plainly visible, even from the thwarts of the 
several boats. 


CHAPTEK XXYI. 


Hark ! was it not the trumpet s voice I heard t 
The soul of battle is awake within me. 
The fate of ages and of empires hangs 
On this dread hour. 

Mcuringet 


THE two launches were still sailing side by side, and 
Eve now appeared at the open window next the seat of 
Paul. Her face was pale as when the scene of the cabin 
occurred, and her lip trembled. 

&quot; I do not understand these warlike proceedings,&quot; she 
30 


$50 HOMEWARD BOURD* 

said , &quot; but I trust, Mr. Blunt, we have no concern with 
the present movement.&quot; 

^ &quot; Put your mind at ease on this head, dearest Miss 
Effingham, for what we now do we do in compliance with a 
general law of manhood. Were your interests and the 
interests of those with you alone consulted, we might come 
to a very different decision : but I think you are in safe 
hands should our adventure prove unfortunate.&quot; 

&quot; Unfortunate ! It is fearful to be so near a scene like 
this ! I cannot ask you to do any thing unworthy of your 
self; but, all that we owe you impels me to say, I trust 
you have too much wisdom, too much true courage, to 
incur unnecessary risks.&quot; 

The young man looked volumes of gratitude ; but the 
presence of the others kept its expression within due 
bounds. 

&quot; We old sea dogs,&quot; he answered, smiling, &quot; are rather 
noted for taking care of ourselves. They who are trained 
to a business like this usually set about it too much in a 
business-like manner to hazard anything for mere show.&quot; 

&quot; And very wisely ; Mr. Sharp, too,&quot; Eve s colour deep- 
ened with a consciousness that Paul would have given worlds 
to understand &quot; he has a claim on us we shall never forge 1 
My father can say all this better than I.&quot; 

Mr. Effingham now expressed his thanks for all that had 
passed, and earnestly enjoined prudence on the young men. 
After which Eve withdrew her head, and was seen no more. 
Most of the next hour was passed in prayer by those in the 
launch. 

By this time the boats and raft were within half a mile, 
of the inlet ; and Captain Truck ordered the kedge, which 
had been transferred to the launch of the Montauk, to be lei 
go. As soon as this was done, the old seaman threw ^down 
his hat, and stood on a thwart in his grey hair. 

&quot; Gentlemen, you have your orders,&quot; he said with dig 
nity ; for from that moment his manner rose with the occa 
sion, and had something of the grandeur of the warrior. 
&quot; You see the enemy. The reef must first be cleared, and 
then the ship shall be carried. God knows who will live to 
see the end ; but that end must be success, or the bones of 


H6MfiWARt&amp;gt; BOUND. 351 

John Truck shall bleach on these sands ! Our cry is The 
Montauk and our own ! which is a principle Vattel will sus 
tain us in. Give way, men ! a long pull, a strong pull, and 
a pull altogether ; each boat in its station 1&quot; 

He waved his hand, and the oars fell into the water at the 
same instant. The heavy launch was the last, for she had 
double-fasts to the other boat. While loosening that forward 
the second mate deserted his post, stepping nimbly on board 
the departing boat, and concealing himself behind the fore 
most of the two lug-sails she carried. Almost at the same 
instant Mr. Dodge reversed this manoBuvre by pretending to 
be left clinging to the boat of the Montauk, in his zeal to 
shove off. As the sails were drawing hard, and the oars 
dashed the spray aside, it was too late to rectify either of 
these mistakes, had it been desirable. 

A few minutes of a stern calm succeeded, each boat keep 
ing its place with beautiful precision. The Arabs had left 
the northern reef with the light ; but, the tide being out, 
hundreds were strung along the southern range of rocks, 
especially near the ship. The wind carried the launch 
ahead, as had been intended, and she soon drew near the 
inlet. 

&quot;Take in the sails,&quot; said Mr. Blunt. &quot;See your gun 
clear forward.&quot; 

A fine, tall, straight, athletic young seaman stood near 
the grating, with a heated iron lying in a vessel of live coals 
t&amp;gt;efore him, in lieu of a loggerhead, the fire being covered 
with a tarpaulin. As Paul spoke, this young mariner turned 
towards him with the peculiar grace of a man-of-war s-man, 
and touched his hat. 

&quot; Ay, ay, sir. All ready, Mr. Powis.&quot; 
Paul started, while the other smiled proudly, like one who 
knew more than his companions. 

&quot; We have met before,&quot; said the first. 
&quot; That have we sir, and in boat-duty, too. You were the 
first on board the pirate on the coast of Cuba, and I was 
second.&quot; 

A look of recognition and a wave of the hand passed 
between them, the men cheering involuntarily. It was too 
late for more, the launch being fairly in the inH, where she 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 

received a general but harmless fire from the Arabs. An 
order had been given to fire the first shot over the heads of 
the barbarians ; but this assault changed the plan. 

&quot; Depress the piece, Brooks,&quot; said Paul, &quot; and throw in a 
bag of slugs.&quot; 

&quot; All ready, sir,&quot; was uttered in another minute. 

&quot; Hold water, men the boat is steady let them have it.&quot; 

Men fell at that discharge; but how many was never 
known, as the bodies were hurried off the reef by those who 
fled. A few concealed themselves along the rocks, but most 
scampered towards the shore. 

&quot; Bravely done !&quot; cried Captain Truck, as his boat swept 
past. &quot; Now for the ship, sir !&quot; 

The people cheered again, and dashed their oars into the 
water. To clear the reef was nothing ; but to carry the 
ship was a serious affair. She was defended by four times 
the number of those in the boats, and there was no retreat. 
The Arabs, as has already been seen, had suspended their 
labour during the night, having fruitlessly endeavoured to 
haul the vessel over to the reef before the tide rose. More 
by accident than by calculation, they had made such ar 
rangements by getting a line to the rocks as would probably 
have set the ship off the sands, when she floated at high 
water ; but this line had been cut by Paul in passing, and the 
wind coming on shore again, during the confusion and cla 
mour of the barbarians, or at a moment when they thought 
they were to be attacked, no attention was paid to the cir 
cumstance, and the Montauk was suffered to drive up still 
higher on the sands, where she effectually grounded at the 
very top of the tide. As it was now dead low water, the 
ship had sewed materially, and was now lying on her bilge 
partly sustained by the water, and partly by the bottom. 

During the short pause that succeeded, Saunders, who was 
seated in the captain s boat as a small-arms-man, addressed 
his subordinate in a low voice. 

&quot; Now, Toast,&quot; he said, you are about to contend in 
battle for the first time ; and I diwine, from experience, that 
the ewent gives you some sentiments that are werry original. 
My adwice to you is, to shut both eyes until the word is 
given to fire, and then to open them suddenly, is if just 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 353 

awaking from sleep ; after which you may present and pull 
the trigger. Above all, Toast, take care not to kill any of 
our own friends, most especially not Captain Truck, just at 
this werry moment.&quot; 

&quot; I shall do my endeavours, Mr. Saunders,&quot; muttered 
Toast, with the apathy and submissive dependence on others 
with which the American black usually goes into action. &quot; If 
I do any harm, I hope it will be overlooked, on account of 
my want of experience.&quot; 

&quot; Imitate me, Toast, in coolness and propriety, and you ll 
be certain not to offend. I do not mean that you too are to 
kill the werry same Muscle-men that I kill, but that when I 
kill one you are to kill another. And be werry careful not 
to hurt Captain Truck, who ll be certain to run right afore 
the muzzle of our guns, if he sees any thing to be done 
there.&quot; 

Toast growled an assent, and then there was no other 
noise in the boat than that which was produced by the steady 
and vigorous falling of the oars. An attempt had been made 
to lighten the vessel by unloading her, and the bank of sand 
was already covered with bales and boxes, which had been 
brought up from the hold by means of a stage, and by sheer 
animal force. The raft had been extended in size, and 
brought round to the bank by the stern of the vessel, with 
the intention to load it, and to transfer the articles already 
landed to the rocks. 

Such was the state of things about the Montauk when the 
boats came into the channel that ran directly up to the bank. 
The launch led again, her sails having been set as soon as 
the reef was swept, and she now made another discharge on 
the deck of the ship, which, inclining towards the gun, of 
fered no shelter. The effect was to bring every Arab, in the 
twinkling of an eye, down upon the bank. 

&quot; Hurrah !&quot; shouted Captain Truck ; &quot; that grist has puri 
fied the old bark ! And now to see who is to own her ! The 
thieves are out of the temple, as my good father would have 
said.&quot; 

The four boats were in a line abreast, the launch under 
one sail only. A good deal of confusion existed on the bank 
but the Arabs sought the cover of the bales and boxes, and 
30 * 


354 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

opened a sharp though irregular fire. Three times, as they 
advanced, the second mate and that gallant-looking young 
seaman called Brooks discharged the gun, and at each dis 
charge the Arabs were dislodged and driven to the raft. The 
cheers of the seamen became animated, though they still 
plied the oars. 

&quot; Steadily, men,&quot; said Captain Truck, &quot; and prepare tc 
board.&quot; 

At this moment the launch grounded, though still twenty 
yards from the bank, the other boats passing her with loud 
cheers. 

&quot; We are all ready, sir,&quot; cried Brooks. 

&quot; Let em have it. Take in the sail, boys.&quot; 

The gun was fired, and the tall young seaman sprang 
upon the grating and cheered. As he looked backward, 
with a smile of triumph, Paul saw his eyes roll. He leaped 
into the air, and fell at his length dead upon the water ; for 
such is the passage of a man in battle, from one state of ex 
istence to another. 

&quot; Where do we hang ?&quot; asked Paul steadily ; &quot; forward 
or aft?&quot; 

It was forward, and deeper water lay ahead of them. The 
sail was set again, and the people were called aft. The boat 
tipped, and shot ahead towards the sands, like a courser re 
leased from a sudden pull. 

All this time the others were not idle. Not a musket was 
fired from either boat until the whole three struck the bank, 
almost at the same instant, though at as many different 
points. Then all leaped ashore, and threw in a fire so close, 
that the boxes served as much for a cover to the assailants 
as to the assailed. It was at this critical moment, when the 
seamen paused to load, that Paul, just clear of the bottom, 
with his own hand applying the loggerhead, swept the rear 
of the bank with a most opportune discharge. 

&quot; Yard-arm and yard-arm !&quot; shouted Captain Truck 
* Lay em aboard, boys, and give em Jack s play !&quot; 

The whole party sprang forward, and from that moment 
all order ceased. Fists, handspikes, of which many were 
on the bank, and the butts of muskets, were freely used, 
and in a way that set the spears and weapons of the Arabs 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 355 

at defiance. The Captain, Mr. Sharp, John Effingham, Mr. 
Monday, the soi-disant Sir George Templemore, and the 
chief mate, formed a sort of Macedonian phalanx, which 
penetrated the centre of the barbarians, and which kept 
close to the enemy, following up its advantages with a spirit 
that admitted of no rallying. On their right and left pressed 
the men, an athletic, hearty, well-fed gang. The superiority 
of the Arabs was in their powers of endurance ; for, trained 
to the whip-cord rigidity of racers, force was less their pe 
culiar merit than bottom. Had they acted in concert, how 
ever, or had they been on their own desert, mounted, and 
with room for their subtle evolutions, the result might have 
been very different ; but, unused to contend with an enemy 
who brought them within reach of the arm, their tactics 
were deranged, and all their habits violated. Still, their 
numbers were formidable, and it is probable that the acci 
dent to the launch, after all, decided the matter. From the 
moment the m&lee began not a shot was fired, but the as 
sailants pressed upon the assailed, until a large body of the 
latter had collected near the raft. This was just as the 
launch reached the shore, and Paul perceived there was 
great danger that the tide might roll backward from sheer 
necessity. The gun was loaded, and filled nearly to the 
muzzle with slugs. He caused the men to raise it on their 
oars, and to carry it to a large box, a little apart from the 
confusion of the fight. All this was done in a moment, 
for three minutes had not yet passed since the captain 
landed. 

Instead of firing, Paul called aloud to his friends to cease 
fighting. Though chafing like a vexed lion, Captain Truck 
complied, surprise effecting quite as much as obedience. 
The Arabs, hardest pressed upon, profited by the pause to 
fall back on the main body of their friends, near the raft. 
This was all Paul could ask, and he ordered the gun to be 
pointed at the centre of the group, while he advanced him 
self towards the enemy, making a sign of peace. 

&quot; Damn em, lay em aboard !&quot; cried the captain : &quot; no 
quarter to the blackguards!&quot; 

&quot; I rather think we had better charge again,&quot; added Mr. 
Sharp, who was thoroughly warmed with his late employ 
ment. 


356 HOMEWARD BOUffD. 

&quot; Hold, gentlemen ; you risk all needlessly. I will sho* 
these poor wretches what they have to expect, and they 
will probably retire. We want the ship, not their blood.&quot; 

&quot; Well, well,&quot; returned the impatient captain, &quot; give em 
plenty of Vattel, for we have em now in a category.&quot; 

The men of the wilderness and of the desert seem to act 
as much by instinct as by reason. An old sheik advanced, 
smiling, towards Paul, when the latter was a few yards in 
advance of his friends, offering his hand with as much cor^ 
diality as if they met merely to exchange courtesies. Paul 
led him quietly to the gun, put his hand in, and drew out a 
bag of slugs, replaced it, and pointed significantly at the 
dense crowd of exposed Arabs, and at the heated iron that 
was ready to discharge the piece. At all this the old Arab 
smiled, and seemed to express his admiration. He was 
then showed the strong and well-armed party, all of whom 
by this time had a musket or a pistol ready to use. Paul 
then signed to the raft and to the reef, as much as to tell the 
other to withdraw his party. 

The sheik exhibited great coolness and sagacity, and, 
unused to frays so desperate, he signified his disposition to 
comply. Truces, Paul knew, were common in the African 
combats, which are seldom bloody, and he hoped the best 
from the manner of the sheik, who was now permitted to 
return to his friends. A short conference succeeded among 
the Arabs, when several of them smilingly waved their 
hands, and most of the party crowded on the raft. Others 
advanced, and asked permission to bear away their wound 
ed, and the bodies of the dead, in both of which offices they 
were assisted by the seamen, as far as was prudent ; for it 
was all-important to be on the guard against treachery. 

In this extraordinary manner the combatants separated, 
the Arabs hauling themselves over to the reef by a line, 
their old men smiling, and making signs of amity, until 
they were fairly on the rocks. Here they remained but a 
very few minutes, for the camels and dromedaries were seen 
trotting off towards the Dane on the shore ; a sign that the 
compact between the different parties of the barbarians was 
dissolved, and that each man was about to plunder on his 
own account. This movement produced great agitation 


HOMEWARD BOUffD. 357 

among the old sheiks and their followers on the reef, and 
set them in motion with great activity towards the land. So 
great was their hurry, indeed, that the bodies of all the 
dead, and of several of the wounded, were fairly abandoned 
on the rocks, at some distance from the shore. 

The first step of the victors, as a matter of course, was 
to inquire into their own loss. This was much less than 
would have otherwise been, on account of their good con 
duct. Every man, without a solitary exception, had os 
tensibly behaved well ; one of the most infallible means of 
lessening danger. Several of the party had received slight 
hurts, and divers bullets had passed through hats and jackets. 
Mr. Sharp, alone, had two through the former, besides one 
through his coat. Paul had blood drawn on an arm, and 
Captain Truck, to use his own language, resembled &quot; a 
horse in fly-time,&quot; his skin having been rased in no less 
than five places. But all these trifling hurts and hair 
breadth escapes counted for nothing, as no one was seriously 
injured by them, or felt sufficient inconvenience even to re 
port himself wounded. 

The felicitations were warm and general ; even the sea 
men asking leave to shake their sturdy old commander by 
the hand. Paul and Mr. Sharp fairly embraced, each 
expressing his sincere pleasure that the other had escaped 
unharmed. The latter even shook hands cordially with his 
counterfeit, who had acted with spirit from the first to the 
last. John Effingham alone maintained the same cool indif 
ference after the affair that he had shown in it, when it was 
seen that he had played his part with singular coolness and 
discretion, dropping two Arabs with his fowling-piece on 
landing, with a sort of sportsman-like coolness with which 
he was in the habit of dropping woodcocks at home. 

&quot; I fear Mr. Monday is seriously hurt,&quot; this gentleman 
said to the captain, in the midst of his congratulations : &quot; he 
sits aloof on the box yonder, and looks exhausted.&quot; 

&quot; Mr. Monday ! I hope not, with all my heart and soul 
He is a capital diplomate, and a stout boarder. And Mr. 
Dcdge, too ! I miss Mr. Dodge.&quot; 

* Mr. Dodge must have remained behind to console the 
ladies,&quot; returned Paul, &quot; finding that your second mate had 
abandoned them, like a recreant that he is.&quot; 


358 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

The captain shook his disobedient mate by the hand a 
second time, and swore he was a mutineer for violating his 
orders, and ended by declaring that the day was not distant 
when he and Mr. Leach should command two as good liners 
as ever sailed out of America. 

&quot; I ll have nothing to do with either of you as soon as we 
reach home,&quot; he concluded. &quot; There was Leach a foot or 
two ahead of me the whole time ; and, as for the second 
officer, I should be justified in logging him as having run. 
Well, well ; young men will be young men ; and so would 
old men too, Mr. John Effingham, if they knew how. But 
Mr. Monday does look doleful ; and I am afraid we shall be 
obliged to overhaul the medicine-chest for him.&quot; 

Mr. Monday, however, was beyond the aid of medicine. 
A ball had passed through his shoulder-blade in landing ; 
notwithstanding which he had pressed into the mMee, where, 
unable to parry it, a spear had been thrust into his chest. 
The last wound appeared grave, and Captain Truck imme 
diately ordered the sufferer to be carried into the ship : John 
Effingham, with a tenderness and humanity that were sin 
gularly in contrast to his ordinary sarcastic manner, volun 
teering to take charge of him. 

&quot; We have need of all our forces,&quot; said Captain Truck, 
as Mr. Monday was borne away ; &quot; and yet it is due to our 
friends in the launch to let them know the result. Set the 
ensign, Leach ; that will tell them our success, though a 
verbal communication can alone acquaint them with the par 
ticulars.&quot; 

&quot; If,&quot; interrupted Paul, eagerly, &quot; you will lend me the 
launch of the Dane, Mr. Sharp and myself will beat her up 
to the raft, let our friends know the result, and bring the 
spars down to the inlet. This will save the necessity of any 
of the men s being absent. We claim the privilege, too, as 
belonging properly to the party that is now absent.&quot; 

&quot; Gentlemen, take any privilege you please. You have 
stood by me like heroes ; and I owe you all more than the 
heel of a worthless old life will ever permit me to pay.&quot; 

The two young men did not wait for a second invitation, 
but in five minutes the boat was stretching through one of 
the channels that led landward; and in five more it waa 
laying out of the inlet with a steady breeze. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 359 

The instant Captain Truck retrod the deck of his ship 
was one of uncontrollable feeling with the weather-beaten 
old seaman. The ship had sewed too much to admit of 
walking with ease, and he sat down on the coamings of the 
main hatch, and fairly wept like an infant. So high had 
his feelings been wrought that this outbreaking was violent, 
and the men wondered to see their grey-headed, stern, old 
commander, so completely unmanned. He seemed at length 
ashamed of the weakness himself, for, rising like a worried 
tiger, he began to issue his orders as sternly and promptly 
as was his wont. 

&quot; What the devil are you gaping at, men !&quot; he growled ; 
&quot; did you never see a ship on her bilge before 1 God knows, 
and for that matter you all know, there is enough to do, that 
you stand like so many marines, with their eyes right ! 
and * pipe-clay. .&quot; 

&quot; Take it more kindly, Captain Truck,&quot; returned an old 
sea-dog, thrusting out a hand that was all knobs, a fellow 
whose tobacco had not been displaced even by the fray ; 
&quot; take it kindly, and look upon all these boxes and bales as 
so much cargo that is to be struck in, in dock. We ll soon 
stow it, and, barring a few slugs, and one four-pounder, that 
has cut up a crate of crockery as if it had been a cat in a 
cupboard, no great harm is done. I look upon this matter 
as no more than a sudden squall, that has compelled us to 
bear up for a little while, but which will answer for a winch 
to spin yarns on all the rest of our days. I have fit the 
French, and the English, and the Turks, in my time ; and 
now I can say I have had a brush with the niggers.&quot; 

&quot; D n me, but you are right, old Tom ! and I ll make 

no more account of the matter. Mr. Leach, give the people 
a little encouragement. There is enough left in the jug that 
you ll find in the stern-sheets of the pinnace ; and then turn- 
to, and strike in all this dunnage, that the Arabs have been 
scattering on the sands. We ll stow it when we get the 
ship into an easier bed than the one m which she is now 
lying.&quot; 

This was the signal for commencing work; and these 
straight-forward tars, who had just been in the confusion and 
hazards of a fight, first took their grog, and then commenced 


360 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

their labour in earnest. As they had only, with their know 
ledge and readiness, to repair the damage done by the igno 
rant and hurried Arabs, in a short time every thing was on 
board the ship again, when their attention was directed to 
the situation of the vessel itself. Not to anticipate events, 
however, we will now return to the party in the launch. 

The reader will readily imagine the feelings with which 
Mr. Effingham and his party listened to the report of the 
first gun. As they all remained below, they were ignorant 
who the individual really was that kept pacing the roof 
over their heads, though it was believed to be the second 
mate, agreeably to the arrangement made by Captain Truck. 

&quot; My eyes grow dim, said Mr. Effingham, who was 
looking through a glass ; &quot; will you try to see what is pass 
ing, Eve?&quot; 

&quot; Father, I cannot look,&quot; returned the pallid girl. &quot; It is 
misery enough to hear these frightful guns.&quot; 

&quot; It is awful !&quot; said Nanny, folding her arms about her 
child, &quot; and I wonder that such gentlemen as Mr. John and 
Mr. Powis should go on an enterprise so wicked !&quot; 

&quot; Voulez-vous avoir la complaisance, monsieur?&quot; said 
Mademoiselle Viefville, taking the glass from the unresisting 
hand of Mr. Effingham. &quot; Ha ! le combat commence en 
efet /&quot; 

&quot; Is it the Arabs who now fire ?&quot; demanded Eve, unable, 
in spite of terror, to repress her interest. 

&quot; Non, c est cet admirable jeune homme, Monsieur Blunt, 
qui devance tons les autres /&quot; 

&quot; And now, mademoiselle, that must surely be the bar 
barians ?&quot; 

&quot; Du tout. Les sauvages fuient. Vest encore du ba 
teau de Monsieur Blunt qu on tire. Quel beau courage! 
son bateau est toujours des premiers /&quot; 

&quot; That shout is frightful ! Do they close?&quot; 

&quot; On crie des deux parts, je crois. Le meux capitaine 
est en avant a present, et Monsieur Blunt s arretef&quot; 

&quot; May Heaven avert the danger ! Do you see the gen 
tlemen at all, Mademoiselle?&quot; 

&quot; La fumee est trop epaisse. Ah ! les viola f On tire 
encore de son bateau.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 361 

Ek lien, mademoiselle ?&quot; said Eve tremulously, after 
a long pause. 

&quot; &est dejdfni. Les Arabes se retirent et nos amis se 
sont empares du bailment. Cela a etc V affaire, (Pun mo- 
ment, et que le combat a ete glorieux / Ces jeunes gens 
sont vraiment dignes d etre Francais, el le vieux capitaine, 
aussiS 

&quot; Are there no tidings for us, mademoiselle?&quot; asked 
Eve, after another long pause, during which she had 
poured out her gratitude in trembling, but secret thanks 
givings. 

&quot; Non,pas encore. Us sefelicitent,je crois.&quot; 

&quot; It s time, I m sure, ma am,&quot; said the meek-minded Ann, 
&quot; to send forth the dove, that it may find the olive branch. 
War and strife are too sinful to be long indulged in.&quot; 

&quot; There is a boat making sail in this direction,&quot; said 
Mr. Effingham, who had left the glass with the governess, 
in complaisance to her wish. 

&quot; Oui, c est le bateau de Monsieur Blunt&quot; 

&quot; And who is in it ?&quot; demanded the father, for the meed 
of a world could not have enabled Eve to speak. 

&quot; Je vois Monsieur Sharp oui, c est bien lui.&quot; 

&quot; Is he alone ?&quot; 

&quot; JVbn, il y en a deux mais out c est Monsieur 
Blunt, notrejeune heros!&quot; 

Eve bowed her face, and even while her soul melted in 
gratitude to God, the feelings of her sex caused the tell- 
fale blood to suffuse her features to the brightness of 
crimson. 

Mr. Effingham now took the glass from the spirited 
Frenchwoman, whose admiration of brilliant qualities had 
overcome her fears, and he gave a more detailed and con 
nected account of the situation of things near the ship, as 
they presented themselves to a spectator at that distance. 

Notwithstanding they already knew so much, it was a 
painful and feverish half hour to those in the launch, the 
time that intervened between this dialogue and the moment 
when the boat of the Dane came alongside of their own. 
Every face was at the windows, and the young men were 
received like deliverers, in whose safety all felt a deep 
concern. 

31 


362 HOMEWARD BOUNH. 

&quot; But, cousin Jack,&quot; said Eve, across whose speaking 
countenance apprehension and joy cast their shadows and 
gleams like April clouds driving athwart a brilliant sky, 
&quot; my father has not been able to discover his form among 
those who move about on the bank.&quot; 

The gentlemen explained the misfortune of Mr. Monday, 
and related the manner in which John Effingham had 
assumed the office of nurse. A few delicious minutes 
passed ; for nothing is more grateful than the happiness 
that first succeeds a victory, and the young men proceeded 
to lift the kedge, assisted by the servant of Mr. Effingham. 
The sails were set ; and in fifteen minutes the raft the 
long-desired and much-coveted raft approached the inlet. 

Paul steered the larger boat, and gave to Mr. Sharp 
directions how to steer the other. The tide was flowing 
into the passage ; and, by keeping his weatherly position, 
the young man carried his long train of spars with so much 
precision into its opening, that, favoured by the current, it 
was drawn through without touching a rock, and brought 
in triumph to the very margin of the bank. Here it was 
secured, the sails and cordage were brought ashore, and 
the whole party landed. 

The last twenty hours seemed like a dream to all the fe 
males, as they again walked the solid sand in security and 
hope. They had now assembled every material of safety, 
and all that remained was to get the ship off the shore, and 
to rig her ; Mr. Leach having already reported that she was 
as tight as the day she left London. 


CHAPTER XXYII. 


Would I were in an ale-house in London ! 

I would give all my fame for a pot of ale and safety 

HENRY VTH. 


MADEMOISELLE VIEFVILLE, with a decision and intelli 
gence that rendered her of great use in moments of need, 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 363 

hastened to offer her services to the wounded man, while 
Eve, attended by Ann Sidley, ascended the ship and made 
her way into the cabins, in the best manner the leaning po 
sition of the vessel allowed. Here they found less confusion 
than might have been expected, the scene being ludicrous, 
rather than painful, for Mr. Monday was in his state-room 
excluded from sight. 

In the first place, the soi-disant Sir George Templemore 
was counting over his effects, among which he had discov 
ered a sad deficiency in coats and pantaloons. The Arabs 
had respected the plunder, by compact, with the intention of 
making a fair distribution on the reef; but, with a view to 
throw a sop to the more rapacious of their associates, one 
room had been sacked by the permission of the sheiks. This 
unfortunate room happened to be that of Sir George Tem 
plemore, and the patent razors, the East Indian dressing 
case, the divers toys, to say nothing of innumerable vest 
ments which the young man had left paraded in his room, 
for the mere pleasure of feasting his eyes on them, had dis 
appeared. 

&quot; Do me the favour, Miss Effingham,&quot; he said, appealing 
to Eve, of whom he stood habitually in awe, from the pure 
necessity of addressing her in his distress, or of addressing 
no one , &quot; do me the favour to look into my room, and see 
the unprincipled manner in which I have been treated. Not 
a comb nor a razor left ; not a garment to make myself de 
cent in ! I m sure such conduct is quite a disgrace to the ci- 
vilization of barbarians even, and I shall make it a point to 
have the affair duly represented to his majesty s minister the 
moment I arrive in New York. I sincerely hope you have 
been better treated, though I think, after this specimen of 
their principles, there is little hope for any one : I m sure we 
ought to be grateful they did not strip the ship. I trust we 
shall all make common cause against them the moment we 
arrive.&quot; 

&quot; We ought, indeed, sir,&quot; returned Eve, who, while she 
had known from the beginning of his being an impostor, was 
willing to ascribe his fraud to vanity, and who now felt cha 
ritable towards him on account of the spirit he had shown in 
the combat ; &quot; though I trust we shall have escaped better. 


364 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

Our effects were principally in the baggage-room, and that, 
I understand from Captain Truck, has not been touched.&quot; 

&quot; Indeed you are very fortunate, and I can only wish that 
the same good luck had happened to myself. But then, you 
know, Miss Effingham, that one has need of his little com 
forts, and, as for myself, I confess to rather a weakness in 
that way.&quot; 

&quot; Monstrous prodigality and wastefulness !&quot; cried Saun- 
ders, as Eve passed on towards her own cabin, willing to 
escape any more of Sir George s complaints. &quot; Just be so 
kind, Miss Effingham, ma am, to look into this here pantry, 
once ! Them niggers, I do believe, have had their fingers 
in every thing, and it will take Toast and me a week to 
get things decorous and orderly again. Some of the 
shrieks&quot; (for so the steward styled the chiefs) &quot; have been 
yelling well in this place, I ll engage, as you may see, by the 
manner in which they have spilt the mustard and mangled 
that cold duck. I ve a most mortal awersion to a man that 
cuts up poultry against the fibers ; and, would you think it, 
Miss Effingham, ma am, that the last gun Mr. Blunt fired, 
dislocated, or otherwise diwerted, about half a dozen of the 
fowls that happened to be in the way ; for I let all the poor 
wretches out of the coops, that they might make their own 
livings should we never come back. I should think that as 
polite and experienced a gentleman as Mr. Blunt might have 
shot the Arabs instead of my poultry !&quot; 

&quot; So it is,&quot; thought Eve, as she glanced into the pantry 
and proceeded. &quot; What is considered happiness to-day gets 
to be misery to-morrow, and the rebukes of adversity are 
forgotten the instant prosperity resumes its influence. Either 
of these men, a few hours since, would have been most hap 
py to have been in this vessel, as a home, or a covering for 
their heads, and now they quarrel with their good fortune 
because it is wanting in some accustomed superfluity or pam 
pered indulgence.&quot; 

We shall leave her with this wholesome reflection upper 
most, to examine into the condition of her own room, and 
return to the deck. 

As the hour was still early, Captain Truck having once 
quieted his feelings, went to work with zeal, to tuwi the late 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 365 

success to the best account. The cargo that had been dis 
charged was soon stowed again, and the next great object 
was to get the ship afloat previously to hoisting in the new 
spars. As the kedges still lay on the reef, and all the an 
chors remained in the places where they had originally been 
placed, there was little to do but to get ready to heave upon 
the chains as soon as the tide rose. Previously to com 
mencing this task, however, the intervening time was well 
employed in sending down the imperfect hamper that was 
aloft, and in getting up shears to hoist out the remains of the 
foremast, as well as the jury mainmast, the latter of which, 
it will be remembered, was only fitted two days before. All 
the appliances used on that occasion being still on deck, and 
every body lending a willing hand, this task was completed 
by noon. The jury-mast gave little trouble, but was soon 
lying on the bank; and then Captain Truck, the shears 
having been previously shifted, commenced lifting the broken 
foremast, and just as the cooks announced that the dinner 
was ready for the people, the latter safely deposited the spar 
on the sands. 

&quot; c Here, a sheer hulk, lies poor Tom Bowline, &quot; said 
Captain Truck to Mr. Blunt, as the crew came up the sta 
ging in their way to the galley, in quest of their meal. &quot; I 
have not beheld the Montauk without a mast since the day 
she lay a new-born child at the ship-yards. I see some half 
a dozen of these mummified scoundrels dodging about on the 
shore yet, though the great majority, as Mr. Dodge would 
say, have manifested a decided disposition to amuse then&amp;gt; 
selves with a further acquaintance with the Dane. In my 
humble opinion, sir, that poor deserted ship will have nc 
more inside of her by night, than one of Saunders ducks 
that have been dead an hour. That hearty fellow, Mr. 
Monday, is hit, I fear, between wind and water, Leach ?&quot; 

&quot; He is in a bad way, indeed, as I understand from Mr 
John Effingham, who very properly allows no one to dis 
turb him, keeping the state-room door closed on all but him 
self and his own man.&quot; 

&quot; Ay, ay, that is merciful ; a man likes a little quiet when 
he is killed. As soon as the ship is more fit to be seen 
however, it will become my duty to wait on him in order to 
31* 


366 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

see that nothing is wanting. We must offer the poor man 
the consolations of religion, Mr. Blunt.&quot; 

&quot; They would certainly be desirable had we one qualified 
for the task.&quot; 

&quot; I can t say as much in that way for myself, perhaps, as 
t might, seeing that my father was a priest. But then, we 
masters of packets have occasion to turn our hands to a 
good many odd jobs. As soon as the ship is snug, I shall 
certainly take a look at the honest fellow. Pray, sir, what 
became of Mr. Dodge in the skirmish?&quot; 

Paul smiled, but he prudently answered, &quot;I believe he 
occupied himself in taking notes of the combat, and I make 
no doubt will do yftu full justice in the Active Inquirer, as 
soon as he gets its columns again at his command.&quot; 

&quot; Too much learning, as my good father used to say, has 
made him a little mad. But I have a grateful heart to-day, 
Mr. Blunt, and will not be critical. I did not perceive 
Mr. Dodge in the conflict, as Saunders calls it, but there 
were so many of those* rascally Arabs, that one had not an 
opportunity of seeing much else. We must get the ship 
outside of this reef with as little delay as possible, for to tell 
you a secret&quot; here the captain dropped his voice to a 
whisper &quot;there are but two rounds a-piece left for the 
small arms, and only one cartridge for the four-pounder. I 
own to you a strong desire to be in the offing.&quot; 

&quot; They will hardly attempt to board us, after the speci 
men they have had of what we can do.&quot; 

&quot; No one knows, sir ; no one knows. They keep pouring 
down upon the coast like crows on the scent of a carrion, 
and once done with the Dane, we shall see them in hundreds 
prowling around us like wolves. How much do we want 
of high water ?&quot; 

&quot; An hour, possibly. I do not think there is much time 
to lose before the people get to work at the windlass.&quot; 

Captain Truck nodded, and proceeded to look into the 
condition of his ground-tackle. It was a joyous but an anx 
ious moment when the handspikes were first handled, and 
the slack of one of the chains began to come in. The ship 
had been upright several hours, and no one could tell how 
hard she. would hang on the bottom. As the chain tight- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 367 

ened, the gentlemen, the officers included, got upon the bows 
and looked anxiously at the effect of each heave ; for it was 
a nervous thing to be stranded on such a coast, even after 
all that had occurred. 

&quot; She winks, by George !&quot; cried the captain ; &quot; heave 
together, men, and you will stir the sand !&quot; 

The men did heave, gaining inch by inch, until no effort 
could cause the ponderous machine to turn. The mates, 
and then the captain, applied their strength in succession, 
and but half a turn more was gained. Everybody was now 
summoned, even to the passengers, and the enormous strain 
seemed to threaten to tear the fabric asunder ; and still the 
ship was immoveable. 

&quot; She hangs hardest forward, sir,&quot; said Mr. Leach : 
1 suppose we run up the stern-boat ?&quot; 

This expedient was adopted, and so nearly were the 
counteracting powers balanced, that it prevailed. A strong 
heave caused the ship to start, an inch more of tide aided 
the effort, and then the vast hull slowly yielded to the pur 
chase, gradually turning towards the anchor, until the quick 
blows of the pall announced that the vessel was fairly afloat 
again. 

&quot; Thank God for that, as for all his mercies !&quot; said Cap 
tain Truck. &quot; Heave the hussy up to her anchor, Mr. 
Leach, when we will cast an eye to her moorings.&quot; 

All this was done, the ship being effectually secured, with 
due attention to a change in the wind, that now promised to 
be permanent. Not a moment was lost ; but, the sheers 
being still standing, the foremast of the Dane was floated 
alongside, fastened to, and hove into its new berth, with as 
much rapidity as comported with care. When the mast was 
fairly stepped, Captain Truck rubbed his hands with delight, 
and immediately commanded his subordinate to rig it, 
although by this time the turn of the day had considerably 
passed. 

&quot; This is tne way with us seamen, Mr. Effingham,&quot; he 
observed ; &quot; from the fall to the fight, and then again from 
the fight to the fall. Our work, like women s, is never 
done ; whereas you landsmen knock off with the sun, and 
sleep while the corn grows. I have always owed my pa 
rents a grudge for bringing me up to a dog s life.&quot; 


368 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; I had understood it was a choice of your own, cap 
tain.&quot; 

&quot; A 7 so far as running away and shipping without their 
knowledge was concerned, perhaps it was ; but then it was 
their business to begin at the bottom, and to train me up in 
such a manner that I would not run away. The Lord for 
give me, too, for thinking amiss of the two dear old peo 
ple ; for, to be candid with you, they were much too good 
to have such a son ; and I honestly believe they loved me 
more than I loved myself. Well, I ve the consolation of 
knowing I comforted the old lady with many a pound of 
capital tea after I got into the China trade, ma amselle.&quot; 

&quot; She was foncj of it?&quot; observed the governess politely. 

&quot; She relished it very much, as a horse takes to oats, or a 
child to custard. That, and snuff and grace, composed 
her principal consolations.&quot; 

&quot; Quoi ?&quot; demanded the governess, looking towards Paul 
for an explanation. 

&quot; Grace, mademoiselle ; la grace de Dieu&quot; 

&quot;&ien/&quot; 

&quot; It s a sad misfortune, after all, to lose a mother, ma am. 
selle. It is like cutting all the headfasts, and riding alto 
gether by the stern ; for it is letting go the hold of what 
has gone before to grapple with the future. It is true that 
I ran away from my mother when a youngster, and thought 
little of it ! but when she took her turn and ran away from 
me, I began lo feel that I had made a wrong use of my legs. 
What are the tidings from poor Mr. Monday ?&quot; 

&quot; I understand he does not suffer greatly, but that he 
grows weaker fast,&quot; returned Paul. &quot; I fear there is little 
hope of his surviving such a hurt.&quot; 

The captain had got out a cigar, and had beckoned to 
Toast for a coal ; but changing his mind suddenly, he broke 
the tobacco into snuff, and scattered it about the deck. 

&quot; Why the devil is not that rigging going up, Mr. Leach?&quot; 
he cried, fiercely. &quot; It is not my .ntention to pass the win 
ter at these moorings, and I solicit a little more expedi 
tion.&quot; 

&quot; Ay, ay, sir,&quot; returned the mate, one of a class habitu 
ally patient and obedient ; &quot; bear a hand, my lads, and gel 
the strings into their places.&quot; 


HOMEWAftD BOUffD. 369 

&quot; Leach,&quot; continued the captain, more kindly, and still 
forking his fingers unconsciously, &quot; come this way, my 
good friend. I have not expressed to you, Mr. Leach, all J 
wish to say of your good conduct in this late affair. You 
have stood by me like a gallant fellow throughout the whole 
business, and I shall not hesitate about saying as much 
when we get in. It is my intention to write a letter to the 
owners, which no doubt they ll publish ; for, whatever they 
have got to say against America, no one will deny it is easy 
to get any thing published. Publishing is victuals and 
drink to the nation. You may depend on having justice 
done you.&quot; 

&quot; I never doubted it, Captain Truck.&quot; 
*&quot; No, sir ; and you never winked. The mainmast does 
not stand up in a gale firmer than you stood up to the 
niggers.&quot; 

&quot; Mr. Effingham, sir and Mr. Sharp and particularly 
Mr. Blunt&quot; 

&quot; Let me alone to deal with them. Even Toast acted like 
a man. Well, Leach, they tell me poor Monday must slip, 
after all.&quot; 

&quot; I am very sorry to hear it, sir ; Mr. Monday laid about 
him like a soldier !&quot; 

&quot; He did, indeed ; but Bonaparte himself has been obliged 
to give up the ghost, and Wellington must follow him some 
day ; even old Putnam is dead. Either you or I, or both of 
us, Leach, will have to throw in some of the consolations 
of religion on this mournful occasion.&quot; 

&quot; There is Mr. EfHngham, sir, or Mr. John Effingham , 
elderly gentlemen with more scholarship.&quot; 

&quot; That will never do. All they can offer, no doubt, will 
be acceptable, but we owe a duty to the ship. The officers 
of a packet are not graceless horse-jockeys, but sober, dis 
creet men, and it becomes them to show that they have some 
education, and the right sort of stuff in them on an 
emergency. I expect you will stand by me, Leach, on this 
melancholy occasion, as stoutly as you stood by me this 
morning.&quot; 

&quot; I humbly hope, sir, not to disgrace the vessel, but it is 
likely Mr. Monday is a Church-of-England-man, and we 
both belong to the Saybrook Platform !&quot; 


370 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; Ah ! the devil ! I forgot that ! But religion is religion \ 
old line or new line; and I question if a man so near 
unmooring will be very particular. The great thing is con 
solation, and that we must contrive to give him, by hook or 
by crook, when the proper moment comes ; and now, Mr, 
Leach, let the people push matters, and we shall have every 
thing up forward, and that mainmast stepped yet by sunset ; 
or it would be more literal to say sun-down?&quot; Captain 
Truck, like a true New-England-man, invariably using a 
provincialism that has got to be so general in America. 

The work proceeded with spirit, for every one was anxious 
to get the ship out of a berth that was so critical, as well 
from the constant vicinity of the Arabs as from the dangers 
of the weather. The wind baffled too, as it is usual 01* the 
margin of the trades, and at times it blew from the sea, 
though it continued light, and the changes were of short 
continuance. As Captain Truck hoped, when the people 
ceased work at night, the fore and fore-top-sail-yards were 
in their places, the top-gallant-mast was fitted, and, with the 
exception of the sails, the ship was what is called a-tanto, 
forward. Aft, less had been done, though by the assistance 
of the supernumeraries, who continued to lend their aid, the 
two lower masts were stepped, though no rigging could be 
got over them. The men volunteered to work by watches 
through the night, but to this Captain Truck would not 
listen, affirming that they had earned their suppers and a 
good rest, both of which they should have. 

The gentlemen, who merely volunteered an occasional 
drag, cheerfully took the look-outs, and as there were plenty 
of fire-arms, though not much powder, little apprehension 
was entertained of the Arabs. As was expected, the night 
passed away tranquilly, and every one arose with the dawn 
refreshed and strengthened. 

The return of day, however, brought the Arabs down 
upon the shore in crowds ; for the last gale, which had been 
unusually severe, and the tidings of the wrecks, which had 
been spread by means of the dromedaries far and wide, had 
collected a force on the coast that began to be formidable 
through sheer numbers. The Dane had been effectually 
emptied, and plunder had the same effect on these rapacious 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 371 

barbarians that blood is known to produce on the tiger. The 
taste had begotten an appetite, and from the first appearance 
of the light, those in the ship saw signs of a disposition to 
renew the attempt on their liberty. 

Happily, the heaviest portion of the work was done, and 
Captain Truck determined, rather than risk another conflict 
with a force that was so much augmented, to get the spars 
on board, and to take the ship outside of the reef, without 
waiting to complete her equipment. His first orders, there 
fore, when all hands were mustered, were for the boats to 
get in the kedges and the stream anchor, and otherwise to 
prepare to move the vessel. In the mean time other gangs 
were busy in getting the rigging over the mast-heads, and in 
setting it up. As the lifting of the anchors with boats was 
heavy work, by the time they were got on board and stowed 
it was noon, and all the yards were aloft, though not a sail 
was bent in the vessel. 

Captain Truck, while the people were eating, passed 
through the ship examining every stay and shroud : there 
were some make-shifts it is true, but on the whole he 
was satisfied, though he plainly saw that the presence of the 
Arabs had hurried matters a little, and that a good many 
drags would have to be given as soon as they got beyond 
danger, and that some attention must be paid to seizings ; 
still, what had been done would answer very well for mode 
rate weather, and it was too late to stop to change. 

The trade wind had returned, and blew steadily as if 
finally likely to stand ; and the water outside of the reef was 
smooth enough to permit the required alterations, now that 
the heavier spars were in their places. 

The appearance of the Montauk certainly was not as 
stately and commanding as before the wreck, but there was 
an air of completeness about it that augured well. It was 
that of a ship of seven hundred tons, fitted with spars in 
tended for a ship of five hundred. The packet a little re 
sembled a man of six feet, in the coat of a man of five feet 
nine, and yet the discrepancy would not be apt to be noticed 
by any but the initiated. Every thing essential was in its 
place, and reasonably well secured, and, as the Dane had 
been rigged for a stormy sea, Captain Truck fell satisfied ho 


372 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

might, in his present plight, venture on t?ie American coast 
even in winter, without incurring unusual hazard. 

As soon as the hour of work arrived, therefore, a boat 
was sent to drop a kedge as near the inlet as it would be 
safe to venture, and a little to windward of it. By making 
a calculation, and inspecting his buoys, which still remained 
where he had placed them, Captain Truck found that he 
could get a narrow channel of sufficient directness to permit 
the ship to be warped as far as this point in a straight line. 
Every thing but the boats was now got on board, the anchor 
by which they rode was hove up, and the warp was brought 
to the capstan, when the vessel slowly began to advance 
towards the inlet. 

This movement was a signal to the Arabs, who poured 
down on both reefs in hundreds, screaming and gesticulating 
like maniacs. It required good nerves and some self-reliance 
to advance in the face of such a danger, and this so much 
the more, as the barbarians showed themselves in the greatest 
force on the northern range of rocks, which offered a good 
shelter for their persons, completely raked the channel, and, 
moreover, lay so near the spot where the kedge had been 
dropped, that one might have jerked a stone from the one to 
the other. To add to the awkwardness of the affair, the 
Arabs began to fire with those muskets that are of so little 
service in close encounters, but which are notorious for 
sending their shot with great precision from a distance. The 
bullets came thick upon the ship, though the stoutness of the 
bulwarks forward, and their height, as yet protected the men. 

In this dilemma, Captain Truck hesitated about continuing 
to haul ahead, and he sent for Mr. Blunt and Mr. Leach for 
a consultation. Both these gentlemen advised perseverance, 
and as the counsel of the former will succinctly show the 
state of things, it shall be given in his own words. 

&quot;Indecision is always discouraging to one s friends, and 
encouraging to one s enemies,&quot; he said, &quot; and I recommend 
perseverance. The nearer we haul to the rocks, the greater 
will be our command of them, while the more the chances 
of the Arabs throwing their bullets on our decks will be di 
minished. Indeed, so long as we ride head to wind, they 
cannot fire low enough to effect their object from the north- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 373 

ern reef, and on the southern they will not venture very near, 
for want of cover. It is true it will be impossible for us to 
bend our sails or to send out a boat in the face of so heavy 
a fire, while our assailants are so effectually covered ; but 
we may possibly dislodge them with the gun, or with our 
small-arms, from the decks. If not, I will head a party into 
the tops, from which I will undertake to drive them out of 
the reach of our muskets in five minutes.&quot; 

&quot; Such a step would be very hazardous to those who ven 
tured aloft.&quot; 

&quot; It would not be without danger, and some loss must be 
expected ; but they who fight must expect risks.&quot; 

&quot; In which case it will be the business of Mr. Leach and 
myself to head the parties aloft. If we are obliged to con 
sole the dying, damn me, but we are entitled to the privilege 
of fighting the living.&quot; 

&quot; Ay, ay, sir,&quot; put in the mate ; &quot; that stands to rea 
son.&quot; 

&quot; There are three tops, gentlemen,&quot; returned Paul, mildly, 
&quot; and I respect your rights too much to wish to interfere 
with them. We can each take one, and the effect will be in 
proportion to the greater means we employ, one vigorous 
assault being worth a dozen feints.&quot; 

Captain Truck shook Paul heartily by the hand, and 
adopted his advice. When the young man had retired, he 
turned to the mate, and said 

&quot;After all, these men-of-war s men are a little beyond 
us in the science of attack and defence, though I think I 
could give him a hint in the science of signs. I have had 
two or three touches at privateering in my time, but no regu 
lar occupation in your broadside work. Did you see how 
Mr. Blunt handled his boat yesterday 1 As much like two 
double blocks and a steady drag, as one belay ing -pin is like 
another, and as coolly as a great lady in London looks at 
one of us in a state of nature. For my part, Leach, I was 
as hot as mustard, and ready to cut the throat of the best 
friend I had on earth ; whereas he was smiling as I rowed 
past him, though I could hardly see his face for the smoke 
of his own gun.&quot; 

&quot; Yea, sir, that s the way with your regular builts. I ll 
32 


HOMEWARD BOUND* 

warrant you he began young, and had kicked all the passion 
out of himself on old salts, by the time he was eighteen. He 
doesn t seem, neither, like one of the true d n-my-eye breed ; 
but it s a great privilege to a man in a passion to be allowed 
to kick when and whom he likes.&quot; 

&quot; Not he. I say Leach, perhaps he might lend us a hand 
when it comes to the pinch with poor Monday. I have a 
great desire that the worthy fellow should take his departure 
decently.&quot; 

&quot; Well, sir, I think you had better propose it. For my 
part, I m quite willing to go into all three of the tops alone, 
rather than disappoint a dying man.&quot; 

The captain promised to look to the matter, and then 
they turned their attention to the ship, which in a few more 
minutes was up as near the kedge as it was prudent to haul 
her. 


CHAPTER XXYIII. 


Speed, gallant bark, the tornado is past ; 
Staunch and secure them hast weather d the blast ; 
Now spread thy full sails to the wings of the mom, 
And soon the glad haven shall greet thy return. 

Park. 


THE Montauk now lay close to the inlet, and even a little 
to windward of its entrance ; but the channel was crooked, 
not a sail was bent, nor was it possible to bend one properly 
without exposing the men to the muskets of the Arabs, who, 
from firing loosely, had got to be more wary and deliberate, 
aiming at the places where a head or an arm was occasion 
ally seen. To prolong this state of things was merely to 
increase the evil, and Captain Truck determined to make an 
effort at once to dislodge his enemies. 

With this view the gun was loaded in-board, filled nearly 
to the muzzle with slugs, and then it was raised with care to 
the top-gallant-forecastle, and cautiously pushed forward near 
the gunwale. Had the barbarians understood the construe 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 375 

tion of a vessel, they might have destroyed half the packet s 
crew while they were thus engaged about tne forecastle by 
firing through the planks ; but, ignorant of the weakness of 
the defences, they aimed altogether at the openings, or over 
the rails. 

By lowering the gaff the spanker was imperfectly bent ; 
that is to say, it was bent on the upper leach. The boom 
was got in under cover of the hurricane-house, and of the 
bundfe of the sail ; the out-hauler was bent, the boom replaced, 
the sail being hoisted with a little and a hurried lacing to the 
luff. This was not effected without a good deal of hazard, 
though the nearness of the bows of the vessel to the rocks pre 
vented most of the Arabs from perceiving what passed so far 
aft. Still, others nearer to the shore caught glimpses of the 
actors, and several narrow escapes were the consequence. 
The second mate, in particular, had a shot through his hat 
within an inch of his head. By a little management, not 
withstanding, the luff of the spanker was made to stand 
tolerably well ; and the ship had at least the benefit of this 
one sail. 

The Dane had been a seaman of the old school ; and, in 
stead of the more modem spenser, his ship had been fitted 
with old-fashioned stay-sails. Of these it was possible to 
bend the main and mizzen stay-sails in tolerable security, pro 
vided the ends of the halyards could be got down. As this, 
however, would be nearly all aftersail, the captain deter 
mined to make an effort to overhaul the buntlines and 
leachlines of the foresail, at the same time that men were 
sent aloft after the ends of the halyards. He also thought 
it possible to set a fore-topmast staysail flying. 

No one was deceived in this matter. The danger and the 
mode of operating werer explained clearly, and then Captain 
Truck asked for volunteers. These were instantly found ; 
Mr. Leach and the second mate setting the example by step 
ping forward as the first two. In order that the whole pro 
cedure may be understood, however, it shall be explained 
more fully. 

Two men were prepared to run up on the foreyard at the 
word. Both of these, one of whom was Mr. Leacfc, carried 
three small balls of marline, to the end of each of which 


376 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

was attached a cod-hook, the barb being filed off in order 
to prevent its being caught. By means of these hooks the 
balls were fastened to the jackets of the adventurers. Two 
others stood ready at the foot of the main and mizzen rig 
gings. By the gun lay Paul and three men ; while several 
of the passengers, and a few of the best shots among the 
crew, were stationed on the forecastle, armed with muskets 
and fowling-pieces. 

&quot;Is everybody ready?&quot; called out the captain from the 
quarter-deck. 

&quot;All ready!&quot; and &quot;Ay! ay, sir!&quot; were answered from 
the different points of the ship. 

&quot; Haul out the spanker !&quot; 

As soon as this sail was set, the stern of the ship swung 
round towards the inlet, so as to turn the bow on which the 
gun was placed towards the part of the reef where the Arabs 
were in greatest numbers. 

&quot;Be steady, men! and do not hurry yourselves, though 
active as wild-cats ! Up, and away !&quot; 

The two fore-yard men, and the two by the after-masts, 
sprang into the rigging like squirrels, and were running aloft 
before the captain had done speaking. At the same instant 
one of the three by the gun leaped on the bowsprit, and ran 
out towards the stay. Paul, and the other two, rose and 
shoved the gun to its berth ; and the small-arms men showed 
themselves at the rails. 

So many, all in swift motion, appearing at the same mo 
ment in the rigging, distracted the attention of the Arabs for 
an instant, though scattering shots were fired. Paul knew 
that the danger would be greatest when the men aloft were 
stationary, and he was in no haste. Perhaps for half a 
minute he was busy in choosing his object, and in levelling 
the gun, and then it was fired. He had chosen the moment 
well ; for Mr. Leach and his fellow adventurers were already 
on the fore-yard, and the Arabs had arisen from their covers 
in the eagerness of taking aim. The small-arms men poured 
in their volley, and then little more could be done in the way 
of the offensive, nearly all the powder in the ship having 
been expended. 

It remains to tell the result of this experiment. Among 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 377 

the Arabs a few fell, and those most exposed to the fire from 
the ship were staggered, losing near a minute in their con 
fusion ; but those more remote maintained hot discharges 
after the first surprise. The whole time occupied in what 
we are going to relate was about three minutes ; the action 
of the several parts going on simultaneously. 

The adventurer forward, though nearest to the enemy, 
was least exposed. Partly covered by the bowsprit, he ran 
nimbly out on that spar till he reached the stay. Here he 
cut the stop of the fore-topmast halyards, overhauled the 
running part, and let the block swing in. He then hooked 
a block that he had carried out with him, and in which the 
bight of a rope had been rove through the thimble, and ran 
m & as fast as possible. This duty, which had appeared the 
most hazardous of all the different adventures, on account 
of the proximity of the bowsprit to the reef, was the first 
done, and with the least real risk ; the man being partly 
concealed by the smoke of the gun, as well as by the bow- 
sprit. He escaped uninjured. 

As the two men aft pursued exactly the same course, the 
movements of one will explain those of the other. On reach 
ing the yard, the adventurer sprang on it, caught the hook 
of the halyard-block, and threw himself off without an in 
stant s hesitation, overhauling the halyards by his weight 
Men stood in readiness below to check the fall by easing ofl 
the other end of the rope, and the hardy fellow reached the 
deck in safety. This seemed a nervous undertaking to the 
landsmen ; but the seamen who so well understood the ma 
chinery of their vessel, made light of it. 

On the fore-yard, Mr. Leach passed out on one yard-arm, 
and his co-adventurer, a common seaman, on the other. 
Each left a hook in the knot of the inner buntline, as he 
went out, and dropped the ball of marline on deck. The 
same was done at the outer buntlines, and at the leachlines. 
Here the mate returned, according to his orders, leaped upon 
the rigging, and thence upon a backstay, when he slid on 
deck with a velocity that set aim at defiance. Notwith 
standing the quickness of his motions, Mr. Leach received a 
trifling hit on the shoulder, and several bullets whizzed riesur 
him. 

32* 


878 HOMEWARD BOUND, 

The seaman on the other yard-arm succeeded equally 
well, escaping the smallest injury, until he had secured the 
leachline, when, knowing the usefulness of obtaining it, 
for he was on the weather side of the ship, he determined 
to bring in the end of the reef-tackle with him. Calling 
out to let go the rope on the deck, he ran out to the lift, 
bent over and secured the desired end, and raised himself 
erect, Vith the intention to make a run in, on the top of 
the yard. Captain Truck and the second mate had both 
commanded him to desist in vain, for impunity from harm 
had rendered him fool-hardy. In this perilous position he 
even paused to give a cheer. The cry was scarcely ended 
when he sprang off the yard several feet upwards and fell 
perpendicularly towards the sea, carrying the rope in his 
hand. At first, most on board believed the man had jumped 
into the water as the least hazardous means of getting 
down, depending on the rope, and on swimming, for his 
security ; but Paul pointed out the spot of blood that 
stained the surface of the sea, at the point where he had 
fallen. The reef-tackle was rounded cautiously in, and its 
end rose to the surface without the hand that had so lately 
grasped it. The man himself never re-appeared. 

Captain Truck had now the means of setting three stay 
sails, the spanker, and the fore-course ; sails sufficient, he 
thought, to answer his present purposes. The end of the 
reef-tackle, that had been so dearly bought, was got in, by 
means of a light line, which was thrown around it. 

The order was now given to brail the spanker, and to 
clap on and weigh the kedge, which was done by the run. 
As soon as the ship was free of the bottom, the fore- 
topmast-staysail was set flying, like a jib-top-sail, by haul 
ing out the tack, and swaying upon the halyards. The 
sheet was hauled to windward, and the helm put down ; of 
course the bows of the ship began to fall off, and, as soon 
as her head was sufficiently near her course, the sheet was 
drawn, and the wheel shifted. 

Captain Truck now ordered the foresail, which, by this 
time was ready, to be set. This important sail was got on 
the vessel, by bending the buntlines and leachlines to its 
head, and by hauling out the weather-head-cringle by 


HOMEWARD BOUND* 379 

means of the reef tackle. As soon as this broad spread of 
canvas was on the ship, her motion was accelerated, and 
she began to move away from the spot, followed by the 
furious cries and menaces of the Arabs. To the latter no 
one paid any heed, but they were audible until drowned in 
distance. Although aided by all her spars, and the force 
of the wind on her hull, a body as large as the Montauk 
required some little time to overcome the vis inertia, and 
several anxious minutes passed before she was so far from 
the cover of the Arabs as to prevent their clamour from 
seeming to be in the very ears of those on board. When 
this did occur, it brought inexpressible relief, though it per 
haps increased the danger, by increasing the chances of 
the bullets hitting objects on deck. 

The course at first was nearly before the wind, when 
the flat rock, so often named, being reached, the ship was 
compelled to haul up on an easy bowline, in order to pass 
to windward of it. Here the staysails aft and the spanker 
were set, which aided in bringing the vessel to the wind, 
and the fore-tack was brought down. By laying straight 
out of the pass, a distance of only a hundred yards, the 
vessel would be again clear of every thing, and beyond all 
the dangers of the coast, so long as the present breeze 
stood. But the tide set the vessel bodily towards the rock, 
and her condition did not admit of pressing hard upon a 
bowline* Captain Truck was getting to be uneasy, for he 
soon perceived that they were nearing the danger, though 
very gradually, and he began to tremble for his copper. 
Still the vessel drew steadily ahead, and he had hopes of 
passing the outer edge of the rocks in safety. This outer 
edge was a broken, ragged, and pointed fragment, that 
would break in the planks should the vessel rest upon it 
an instant, while falling in that constant heaving and set 
ting of the ocean, which now began to be very sensibly 
felt. After all his jeopardy, the old mariner saw that 
his safety was at a serious hazard, by one of those unfore 
seen but common risks that environ the seaman s life. 

&quot; Luff! luff! you can,&quot; cried Captain Truck, glancing 
his eye from the rock to the sails, and from the sails to the 
rockt &quot; Luff, sir you are at the pinch !&quot; 


380 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

Luff it is sir !&quot; answered the man at the wheel, who 
stood abaft the hurricane-house, covered by its roof, over 
which he was compelled to look, to get a view of the sails. 
&quot; Luff I may, and luff it is, sir.&quot; 

Paul stood at the captain s side, the crew being ordered 
to keep themselves as much covered as possible, on account 
of the bullets of the Arabs, which were at this time patter 
ing against the vessel, like hail at the close of a storm. 

&quot; We shall not weather that point of ragged rock,&quot; ex 
claimed the young man, quickly ; &quot; and if we touch it the 
ship will be lost.&quot; 

&quot; Let her claw off,&quot; returned the old man sternly. &quot; Her 
cutwater is up with it already. Let her claw off.&quot; 

The bows of the ship were certainly up with the dan 
ger, and the vessel was slowly drawing ahead ; but every 
moment its broadside Was set nearer to the rock, which 
was now within fifty feet of them. The fore-chains were 
past the point, though little hope remained of clearing it 
abaft. A ship turns on her centre of gravity as on a pivot, 
the two ends inclining in opposite directions ; and Captain 
Truck hoped that as the bows were past the danger, it 
might be possible to throw the after-part of the vessel up 
to the wind, by keeping away, and thus clear the spot en 
tirely. 

&quot; Hard up with your helm !&quot; he shouted ; &quot; hard up ! 
Haul down the mizzen-staysail, and give her sheet !&quot; 

The sails were attended to, but no answer came from the 
wheel, nor did the vessel change her course. 

&quot; Hard up, I tell you, sir hard up hard up, and be 
d d to you !&quot; 

The usual reply was not made. Paul sprang through the 
narrow gangway that led to the wheel. All that passed 
took but a minute, and yet it was the most critical minute 
that had yet befallen the Montauk ; for had she touched 
that rock but for an instant, human art could hardly have 
kept her above water an hour. 

&quot;Hard up, and be d d to you!&quot; repeated Captain 

Truck, in a voice of thunder, as Paul darted round the 
corner of the hurricane-house. 

The seaman stood at the wheel, grasping its spokes 

f 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 381 

firmly, his eyes aloft as usual, but the turns of the tiller 
rope showed that the order was not obeyed. 

&quot; Hard up, man, hard up ! are you mad ?&quot; Paul utter- 
ed these words as he sprang to the wheel, which he made 
whirl with his own hands in the required direction. As for 
the seaman, he yielded his hold without resistance, and fell 
like a log, as the wheel flew round. A ball had entered his 
back, and passed through his heart, and yet he had stood 
steadily to the spokes, as the true mariner always clings 
to the helm while life lasts. 

The bows of the ship fell heavily off, and her stern press 
ed up towards the wind ; but the trifling delay so much aug 
mented the risk, that nothing saved the vessel but the for 
mation of the run and counter, which, by receding as usual, 
allowed room to escape the dangerous point, as the Montauk 
hove by on a swell. 

Paul could not see the nearness of the escape, but the pu 
rity of the water permitted Captain Truck and his mates 
to observe it with a distinctness that almost rendered them 
breathless. Indeed there was an instant when the sharp 
rock was hid beneath the counter, and each momentarily 
expected to hear the grating of the fragment, as it pene 
trated the vessel s bottom. 

&quot; Relieve that man at the wheel, and send him hither 
this moment,&quot; said Captain Truck, in a calm stern voice, 
that was more ominous than an oath. 

The mate called a seaman, and passed aft himself to exe 
cute the order. In a minute he and Paul returned, bearing 
the body of the dead mariner, when all was explained. 

&quot; Lord, thy ways are unsearchable !&quot; muttered the old 
master, uncovering himself, as the corpse was carried past, 
&quot; and we are but as grains of seed, and as the vain butter 
flies in thy hand !&quot; 

The rock once cleared, an open ocean lay to leeward 
of the packet, and bringing the wind a little abaft the beam, 
she moved steadily away from those rocks that had been 
the witnesses of all her recent dangers. It was not long 
before she was so distant that all danger from the Arabs 
ceased. The barbarians, notwithstanding, continued a 
dropping fire and furious gesticulations, long after their 


382 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

bullets and menaces became matters of indifference to those 
on board. 

The body of the dead man was laid between the masts, 
and the order was passed to bend the sails. As all was 
ready, in half an hour the Montauk was standing off the 
land under her three topsails, the reef now distant nearly a 
league. The courses came next, when the top-gallant 
yards were crossed and the sails set ; the lighter canvas 
followed, and some time before the sun disappeared, the 
ship was under studding-sails, standing to the westward, 
before the trades. 

For the first time since he received the intelligence that 
the Arabs were the masters of the ship, Captain Truck now 
r elt real relief. He was momentarily happy after the com 
bat, but new cares had pressed upon him so soon, that he 
could scarcely be said to be tranquil. Matters were now 
changed. His vessel was in good order, if not equipped for 
racing, and, as he was in a low latitude, had the trade winds 
to befriend him, and no longer entertained any apprehension 
of his old enemy the Foam, he felt as if a mountain had 
been removed from his breast. 

&quot; Thank God,&quot; he observed to Paul, &quot; I shall sleep to- 
night without dreaming of Arabs or rocks, or scowling 
faces at New York. They may say that another man 
might have sho\yn more skill in keeping clear of such a 
scrape, but they will hardly say that another man could 
have got out of it better. All this handsome outfit, too, 
will cost the owners nothing literally nothing ; and I 
question if the poor Dane will ever appear to claim the 
sails and spars. I do not know that we are in possession 
of them exactly according to the law of Africa, for of that 
code I know little ; or according to the law of nations, for 
Vattel, I believe, has nothing on the subject ; but we are in 
possession so effectually, that, barring the nor -westers on 
the American coast, I feel pretty certain of keeping them 
until we make the East River.&quot; 

&quot; It might be better to bury the dead,&quot; said Paul ; for 
he knew Eve would scarcely appear on deck as long as the 
body remained in sight. &quot; Seamen, you know, are super 
stitious on the subject of corpses.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 383 

J&amp;lt; I have thought of this, but hoped to cheat those two 
rascals of sharks that are following in our wake, as if they 
scented their food. It is an extraordinary thing, Mr. Blunt, 
that these fish should know when there is a body in a 
ship, and that they will follow it a hundred leagues to make 
sure of their prey.&quot; 

&quot; It would be extraordinary, if true ; but in what manner 
has the fact been ascertained ?&quot; 

&quot; You see the two rascally pirates astern ?&quot; observed Mr. 
Leach. 

&quot; Very true ; but we might also see them were there no 
dead body about the ship. Sharks abound in this latitude, 
and I have seen several about the reef since we went in. 

&quot; They ll be disappointed as to poor Tom Smith,&quot; said 
the mate, &quot; unless they dive deep for him. I have lashed 
one of Napoleon s busts to the fine fellow s feet, and he ll 
not fetch up until he s snugly anchored on the bottom.&quot; 

&quot; This is a fitting hour for solemn feelings,&quot; said the 
captain, gazing about him at the heavens and the gathering 
gloom of twilight. &quot; Call all hands to bury the dead, Mr. 
Leach. I confess I should feel easier myself as to the 
weather, were the body fairly out of the ship.&quot; 

While the mate went forward to muster the people, the 
captain took Paul aside with a request that he would perform 
the last offices for the deceased. 

&quot; I will read a chapter in the Bible myself,&quot; he said ; 
&quot; for I should not like the people to see one of the crew go 
overboard, and the officers have no word to say in the cere 
monies ; it might beget disrespect, and throw a slur on our 
knowledge ; but you man-of-war s-men are generally more 
regularly brought up to prayers than us liners, and if you 
have a proper book by you, I should feel infinitely obliged 
if you would give us a lift on this melancholy occasion.&quot; 

Paul proposed that Mr. Effingham should be asked to 
officiate, as he knew that gentleman read prayers in his 
cabin, to his own party, night and morning. 

&quot;Does he?&quot; said the captain ; &quot; then he is my man, for 
he must have his hand in, and there will be no stammering 
or boggling. Ay, ay ; he will fetch through on one tack. 
Toast, go below, and present m^ compliments to Mr. Effing. 


384 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

ham, and say I should like to speak to him ; and, harkee, 
Toast, desire him to put a prayer-book in his pocket, and 
then step into my state-room, and bring up the Bible you 
will find under the pillow. The Arabs had a full chance at 
the plunder ; but there is something about the book that 
always takes care of it. Few rogues, I ve often remarked, 
care about a Bible. They would sooner steal ten novels 
than one copy of the sacred writ. This of mine was my 
mother s, Mr. Blunt, and I should have been a better man 
had I overhauled it oftener.&quot; 

We pass over most of the arrangements, and come at 
once to the service, and to the state of the ship, just as her 
inmate were assembled on an occasion which no want of 
formality can render any thing but solemn and admonitory. 
The courses were hauled up, and the main-topsail had been 
laid to the mast, a position in which a ship has always an 
air of stately repose. The body was stretched on a plank 
that lay across a rail, the leaden bust being enclosed in the 
hammock that enveloped it. A spot of blood on the cloth 
alone betrayed the nature of the death. Around the body 
were grouped the crew, while Captain Truck and his mates 
stood at the gangway. The passengers were collected on 
the quarter-deck, with Mr. Effingham, holding a prayer- 
book, a little in advance. 

The sun had just dipped into the ocean, and the whole 
western horizon was glorious with those soft, pearly, rain 
bow hues that adorn the evening and the morning of a low 
latitude, during the soft weather of the autumnal months. 
To the eastward, the low line of coast was just discernible 
by the hillocks of sand, leaving the imagination to portray 
its solitude and wastes. The sea in all other directions was 
dark and gloomy, and the entire character of the sunset was 
that of a grand picture of ocean magnificence and extent, 
relieved by a sky in which the tints came and went like the 
well-known colours of the dolphin ; to this must be added 
the gathering gloom of twilight. 

Eve pressed the arm of John Effingham, and gazed with 
admiration and awe at the imposing scene. 

&quot; This is the seaman s grave !&quot; she whispered. 

&quot;And worthy it if to be the tomb of so gallant a fellow. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


385 


The man died clinging to his post ; and Powis tells me that 
his hand was loosened from the wheel with difficulty.&quot; 

They were silent, for Captain Truck uncovered himself, 
as did all around him, placed his spectacles, and opened the 
sacred volume. The old mariner was far from critical in his 
selections of readings, and he usually chose some subject 
that he thought would most interest his hearers, which were 
ordinarily those that most interested himself. To him Bible 
was Bible, and he now turned to the passage in the Acts of 
the Apostles in which the voyage of St. Paul from Judea to 
Rome is related. This he read with steadiness, some quaint- 
ness of pronunciation, and with a sort of breathing elasti 
city, whenever he came to those verses that touched particu 
larly on the navigation. 

Paul maintained his perfect self-command during this ex 
traordinary exhibition, but an unbidden smile lingered around 
the handsome and chiseled mouth of Mr. Sharp. John 
Effingham s curved face was sedate and composed, while the 
females were too much impressed to exhibit any levity. As 
to the crew, they listened in profound attention, occasionally 
exchanging glances whenever any of the nautical expedients 
struck them as being out of rule. 

As soon as this edifying chapter was ended, Mr. Effing- 
ham commenced the solemn rites for the dead. At the first 
sound of his voice, a calm fell on the vessel as if the Spirit 
of God had alighted from the clouds, and a thrill passed 
through the frames of the listeners. Those solemn words 
of the Apostle commencing with &quot; I am the resurrection and 
the life, saith the Lord, he that believeth in me, though he 
were dead, yet he shall live : and whosoever liveth and be 
lieveth in me, he shall never die,&quot; could not have been better 
delivered. The voice, intonation, utterance, and manner, of 
Mr. Effingham, were eminently those of a gentleman ; with 
out pretension, quiet, simple, and mellow, while, on the other 
hand, they were feeling, dignified, distinct, and measured. 

When he pronounced the words &quot; I know that my Re 
deemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon 
the earth : and though, after my skin, worms destroy my 
body, yet in my flesh shall I see God,&quot; &c. &c- the men 
stared about them as if a real voice from heaven had made 
33 


386 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

the declaration, and Captain Truck looked aloft like one ex 
pecting a trumpet-blast. The tears of Eve began to flow as 
she listened to the much-loved tones ; and the stoutest heart 
in that much-tried ship quailed. John Effingham made the 
responses of the psalm steadily, and Mr. Sharp and Paul 
soon joined him. But the profoundest effect was produced 
when the office reached those consoling but startling words 
from the Revelations, commencing with, &quot; I heard a voice 
from Heaven saying unto me write, from henceforth blessed 
are the dead who die in the Lord,&quot; &c. Captain Truck af 
terwards confessed that he thought he heard the very voice, 
and the men actually pressed together in their alarm. The 
plunge of the body was also a solemn instant. It went off 
the end of the plank feet foremost, and, carried rapidly down 
by the great weight of the lead, the water closed above it, 
obliterating every trace of the seaman s grave. Eve thought 
that its exit resembled the few brief hours that draw the veil 
of oblivion around the mass of mortals when they disappear 
from earth. 

Instead of asking for the benediction at the close of the 
ceremony, Mr. Effingham devoutly and calmly commenced 
the psalm of thanksgiving for victory, &quot; If the Lord had noi 
been on our side, now may we say, if the Lord himself had 
not been on our side, when men rose up against us, they 
would have swallowed us up quick, when they were so 
rrathfully displeased with us.&quot; Most of the gentlemen 
joined in the responses, and the silvery voice of Eve sounded 
sweet and holy amid the breathings of the ocean. Te Deum 
Laudamus, &quot; We praise thee, O God ! we acknowledge thee 
to be the Lord !&quot; &quot; All the earth doth worship thee, the 
Father everlasting ;&quot; closed the offices, when Mr. Effingham 
dismissed his congregation with the usual layman s request 
for the benediction. 

Captain Truck had never before been so deeply impressed 
with any religious ceremony, and when it ceased he looked 
wistfully over the side at the spot where the body had 
fallen, or where it might be supposed to have fallen for 
the ship had drifted some distance as one takes a last 
*ook at the grave of a friend. 

&quot;Shall we fill the main-topsail, sir?&quot; demanded Mr. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 387 

Leach, after waiting a minute or two in deference to his 
commander s feelings; &quot;or shall we hook on the yard- 
tackles, and stow the launch ?&quot; 

&quot; Not yet, Leach ; not yet. It will be unkind to poor 
Jack to hurry away from his grave so indecently. I have 
observed that the people about the river always keep in 
sight till the last sod is stowed, and the rubbish is cleared 
away. The fine fellow stood to those spokes as a close- 
reefed topsail in a gale stands the surges of the wind, and 
we owe him this little respect.&quot; 

&quot;The boats, sir?&quot; 

&quot; Let them tow awhile longer. It will seem like desert 
ing him to be rattling the yard-tackles, and stowing boats 
directly over his head. Your gran ther was a priest, Leach, 
and I wonder you don t see the impropriety of hurrying 
away from a grave. A little reflection will hurt none of 
us.&quot; 

The mate admired at a mood so novel for his command 
er, but he was fain to submit. The day was fast closing not 
withstanding, and the skies were losing their brilliancy in 
hues that were still softer and more melancholy, as if na 
ture delighted, too, in sympathizing with the feelings of these 
lone mariners ! 


CHAPTEE XXIX. 

Sir, tis my occupation to be plain. 


LEAR. 


THE barbarians had done much less injury to the ship 
and her contents than under the circumstances could have 
been reasonably hoped. The fact that nothing could be 
effectually landed where she lay was probably the cause, 
the bales that had actually been got out of the ship, having 
been put upon the bank with a view to lighten her, more 
than for any other reason. The compact, too, between the 


388 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

chiefs had its influence probably, though it could not have 
lasted long with so strong temptations to violate it con 
stantly before the eyes of men habitually rapacious. 

Of course, one of the first things after each individual 
had ascertained his own losses, was to inquire into those of 
his neighbours, and the usual party in the ladies cabin was 
seated around the sofa of Eve, about nine in the evening, 
conversing on this topic, after having held a short but 
serious discourse on their recent escape. 

&quot; You tell me, John, that Mr. Monday has a desire to 
sleep ?&quot; observed Mr. Effingham, in the manner in which 
one puts an interrogation. 

&quot; He is easier, and dozes. I have left my man with him, 
with orders to summon me the instant he awakes.&quot; 

A melancholy pause succeeded, and then the discourse 
took the channel from which it had been diverted. 

&quot; Is the extent of our losses in effects known ?&quot; asked 
Mr. Sharp. &quot; My man reports some trifling deficit, but 
nothing of any value.&quot; 

&quot; Your counterfeit,&quot; returned Eve, smiling, &quot; has been 
the principal sufferer. One would think by his plaints, that 
not a toy is left in Christendom.&quot; 

&quot; So long as they have not stolen from him his good 
name, I shall not complain, as I may have some use for it 
when we reach America, of which now, God be praised ! 
there are some flattering prospects.&quot; 

&quot; I understand from my connexions that the person who 
is known in the main cabin as Sir George Templemore, is 
not the person who is known as such in this,&quot; observed 
John Effingham, bowing to Mr. Sharp, who returned his 
salute as one acknowledges an informal introduction. 
&quot; There are certainly weak men to be found in high sta 
tions all over the world, but you will probably think I am 
doing honour to my own sagacity, when I say, that I sus 
pected from the first that he was not the true Amphitryon. 
I had heard of Sir George Templemore, and had been 
taught to expect more in him than even a man of fashion 
a man of the world while this poor substitute can scarcely 
lay claim to be either.&quot; 

John Effingham so seldom complimented that his kind 


HOMEWARD BOUND 389 

words usually told, and Mr. Sharp acknowledged the polite 
ness, more gratified than he was probably willing to ac 
knowledge to himself. The other could have heard of him 
only from Eve and her father, and it was doubly grateful 
to be spoken of favourably in such a quarter : he thought 
there was a consciousness in the slight suffusion that ap 
peared on the face of the daughter, which led him to hope 
that even the latter had not considered him unworthy of 
recollection ; for he cared but little for the remembrances 
of Mr. Effingham, if they could all be transferred to his 
child. 

&quot; This person, who does me the honour to relieve me 
from the trouble of bearing my own name,&quot; he resumed, 
&quot; cannot be of very lofty pretensions, or he would have as 
pired higher. I suspect him of being merely one of those 
silly young countrymen of mine, of whom so many crowd 
stage-coaches and packets, to swagger over their less am 
bitious fellow- mortals with the strut and exactions of the 
hour.&quot; 

&quot; And yet, apart from his folly in sailing under false 
colours, as our worthy captain would call it, the man 
seems well enough.&quot; 

&quot; A folly, cousin Jack,&quot; said Eve with laughing eyes 
though she maintained a perfect demureness with her beau- 
tiful features &quot; that he shares in common with so manv 
others !&quot; 

&quot; Very true, though I suspect he has climbed to commit 
it, while others have been content to descend. The man 
himself behaved well yesterday, showing steadiness as well 
as spirit in the fray.&quot; 

&quot; I forgive him his usurpation for his conduct on that oc 
casion,&quot; returned Mr. Sharp, &quot; and wish with all my heart 
the Arabs had discovered less affection for his curiosities. I 
should think that they must find themselves embarrassed to 
ascertain the uses of some of their prizes ; such for instance, 
as the button-hooks, the shoe-horn, knives with twenty 
blades, and other objects that denote a profound civilization.&quot; 

&quot; You havo not spoken of your luck, Mr. Powis,&quot; added 
Mr. Effingham ; &quot; I trust you have fared as well as most 
of us, though, had they visited their enemies according to 
33* 


390 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

the injury received from them, you would be among the 
heaviest of the sufferers.&quot; 

&quot; My loss,&quot; replied Paul mournfully, &quot; is not much in 
pecuniary value, though irreparable to me.&quot; 

A look of concern betrayed the general interest, for as 
he really seemed sad, there was a secret apprehension that 
his loss even exceeded that which his words would give 
them reason to suppose. Perceiving the curiosity that was 
awakened, and which was only suppressed by politeness, 
the young man added, 

&quot; I miss a miniature that, to me, is of inestimable value.&quot; 

Eve s heart throbbed, while her eyes sunk to the car 
pet. The others seemed amazed, and after a brief pause, 
Mr. Sharp observed 

&quot; A painting on its own account would hardly possess 
much value with such barbarians. Was the setting valu 
able ?&quot; 

&quot; It was of gold, of course, and had some merit in the 
way of workmanship. It has probably been taken as curi- 
DUS rather than for its specific value ; though to me, as I 
have just said, the ship itself could scarcely be of more ac 
count certainly not as much prized.&quot; 

&quot; Many light articles have been merely mislaid ; taken 
away through curiosity or idleness, and left where the indi 
vidual happened to be at the moment of changing his mind,&quot; 
said John Effingham : &quot; several things of mine have been 
scattered through the cabins in this manner, and I under 
stand that divers vestments of the ladies have found their 
way into the state-rooms of the other cabin ; particularly a 
night-cap of Mademoiselle Viefville s, that has been disco 
vered in Captain Truck s room, and which that gallant 
seaman has forthwith condemned as a lawful waif. As he 
never uses such a device on his head, he will be compelled 
to wear it next his heart. He will be compelled to convert 
it into a liberty-cap.&quot; 

&quot; del! if the excellent captain will carry us safe to New 
York,&quot; coolly returned the governess, &quot; he shall have the 
prize, de tout mon coeur ; c est un homme brave, et c est 
aussi un brave homme, a safaqon.&quot; 

&quot; Here are two hearts concerned in the afiair already, 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 391 

and no one can foresee the consequences ; but,&quot; turning to 
Paul, &quot; describe this miniature, if you please, for there are 
many in the vessel, and yours is not the only one that has 
been mislaid.&quot; 

&quot; It was a miniature of a female, and one, too, I think, 
that would be remarked for her beauty.&quot; 
Eve felt a chill at her heart. 

&quot; If, sir, it is the miniature of an elderly lady,&quot; said Ann 
Sidley, &quot; perhaps it is this which I found in Miss Eve s 
room, and which I intended to give to Captain Truck in or 
der that it might reach the hands of its right owner.&quot; 

Paul took the miniature, which he regarded coldly for a 
moment, and then returned to the nurse. 

&quot; Mine is the miniature of a female under twenty,&quot; he 
said, colouring as he spoke ; &quot; and is every way different 
from this.&quot; 

This was the painful and humiliating moment when Eve 
Effingham was made to feel the extent and the nature of 
the interest she took in Paul Powis. On all the previous 
occasions in which her feelings had been strongly awakened 
on his account, she had succeeded in deceiving herself as 
to the motive, but now the truth was felt in that overwhelm 
ing form that no sensitive heart can distrust. 

No one had seen the miniature, though all observed the 
emotion with which Paul spoke of it, and all secretly won 
dered of whom it could be. 

&quot; The Arabs appear to have some such taste for the fine 
arts as distinguishes the population of a mushroom Ameri 
can city,&quot; said John Effingham ; &quot; or one that runs to por 
traits, which are admired while the novelty lasts, and then 
are consigned to the first spot that offers to receive them.&quot; 
&quot; Are your miniatures all safe, Eve ?&quot; Mr. Effingham 
inquired with interest ; for among them was one of her mo 
ther that he had yielded to her only through strong pa 
rental affection, but which it would have given him deep 
pain to discover was lost, though John Effingham, unknown 
to him, possessed a copy 

&quot; It is with the jewehery in the baggage-room, dearest 
father, and untouched of course. We are fortunate that 
our passing wants did not extend beyond our comforts, 


392 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

and luckily they are not of a nature to be muah prized bt 
barbarians. .Coquetry and a ship have little in common, 
and Mademoiselle Viefville and myself had not much out 
to tempt the marauders.&quot; 

As Eye uttered this, both the young men involuntarily 
turned their eyes towards her, each thinking that a being 
so fair stood less in need than common of the factitious aid 
of ornaments. She was dressed in a dark French chintz, 
that her maid had fitted to her person in a manner that it 
would seem none but a French assistant can accomplish 
Bttmg off her falling shoulders, finely moulded bust, and 
slender-rounded waist, in a way to present a modest outline 
their perfection. The dress had that polished medium 
etween fashion and its exaggeration, that always denotes 
i high association, and perhaps a cultivated mind certainly 
a cultivated taste offending neither usage on the one hand, 
nor self-respect and a chaste appreciation of beauty on the 
other. Indeed Eve was distinguished for that important 
acquisition to a gentlewoman, an intellectual or refined 
toilette ; not intellect and refinement in extravagance and 
caricature, but as they are displayed in fitness, simplicity, 
elegance, and the proportions. This much, perhaps, she 
owed to native taste, as the slight air of fashion, and the 
high air of a gentlewoman, that were thrown about her 
person and attire, were the fruits of an intimate connexion 
with the best society of half the capitals of the European 
continent. As an unmarried female, modesty, the habits 
of the part of the world in which she had so long dwelt, 
and her own sense of propriety, caused her to respect sim 
plicity of appearance; but through this, as it might be in 
spite of herself, shone qualities of a superior order. The 
little hand and foot, so beautiful and delicate, the latter just 
peeping from the dress under which it was usually con 
cealed, appeared as if formed expressly to adorn a taste 
that was every way feminine and alluring. 

&quot; It is one of the mysteries of the grand designs of Provi 
dence, that men should exist in conditions so widely distant 
from each other,&quot; said John Effingham abruptly, &quot; with a 
common nature that can be so much varied by circumstan- 
It is almost humiliating to find one s-self a man, when 
beings like these Arabs are to be classed as fellows.&quot; 


BOUND. 893 

* The most instructed and refined, cousin Jack, may get 
a useful lesson, notwithstanding your disrelish for the con 
sanguinity, from this very identity of nature,&quot; said Eve, 
who made a rally to overcome feelings that she deemed 
girlish and weak. &quot; By showing us what we might be our 
selves, we get an admonition of humility; or by reflecting 
on the difference that is made by education, does it not 
strike you that there is an encouragement to persevere un 
til better things are attained ?&quot; 

&quot; This globe is but a ball, and a ball, too, insignificant, 
even when compared with the powers of man,&quot; continued 
the other. &quot; How many navigators now circle it ! even you, 
sir, may have done this, young as you still are,&quot; turning 
to Paul, who made a bow of assent : &quot; and yet, within these 
narrow limits, what wonderful varieties of physical appear 
ance, civilization, laws, and even of colour, do we find, all 
mixed up with points of startling affinity.&quot; 

&quot; So far as a limited experience has enabled me to judge,&quot; 
observed Paul, &quot; I have every where found, not only the 
same nature, but a common innate sentiment of justice that 
seems universal ; for even amidst the wildest scenes of vio 
lence, or of the most ungovernable outrages, this sentiment 
glimmers through the more brutal features of the being. 
The rights of property, for instance, are every where ac 
knowledged ; the very wretch who steals whenever he can, 
appearing conscious of his crime, by doing it clandestinely, 
and as a deed that shuns observation. All seem to have 
the same general notions of natural justice, and they are 
forgotten only through the policy of systems, irresistible 
temptation, the pressure of want, or the result of conten 
tion.&quot; 

&quot; Yet, as a rule, man every where oppresses his weakei 
fellow.&quot; 

&quot; True ; but he betrays consciousness of his error, di 
rectly or indirectly. One can show his sense of the mag 
nitude of his crime even by the manner of defending it. As 
respects our late enemies, I cannot say I felt any emotion 
of animosity while the hottest engaged against them, for 
their usages have rendered their proceedings lawful.&quot; 

&quot; They tell me,&quot; interrupted Mr. Effingham, &quot; that it ia 


HOMEWARD BOUfffc. 

owing to your presence of mind and steadiness that more 
blood was not shed unnecessarily.&quot; 

&quot; It may be questioned,&quot; continued Paul, noticing this 
compliment merely by an inclination of the head, &quot; if civi 
lized people have not reasoned themselves, under the influ 
ence of interest, into the commission of deeds quite as much 
opposed to natural justice as anything done by these bar 
barians. Perhaps no nation is perfectly free from the just 
imputation of having adopted some policy quite as unjusti 
fiable in itself as the system of plunder maintained among 
the Arabs.&quot; 

&quot; Do you count the rights of hospitality as nothing ?&quot; 

&quot; Look at France, a nation distinguished for refinement, 
among its rulers at least. It was but the other day that the 
effects of the stranger who died in her territory were ap 
propriated to the uses of a monarch wallowing in luxury. 
Compare this law with the treaties that invited strangers to 
repair to the country, and the wants of the monarch who 
exhibited the rapacity, to the situation of the barbarians 
from whom we have escaped, and the magnitude of the 
temptation we offered, and it does not appear that the ad 
vantage is much with Christians. But the fate of ship 
wrecked mariners all over the world is notorious. In coun 
tries the most advanced in civilization they are plundered, 
if there is an opportunity, and, at need, frequently mur 
dered.&quot; 

&quot;This is a frightful picture of humanity,&quot; said Eve 
shuddering. &quot; I do not think that this charge can be justly 
brought against America.&quot; 

&quot; That is far from certain. America has many advan 
tages to weaken the temptation to crime, but she is very 
far from perfect. The people on some of her coasts have 
been accused of resorting to the old English practice of 
showing false lights, with a view to mislead vessels, and of 
committing cruel depredations on the wrecked. In all 
things I believe there is a disposition in man to make mis 
fortune weigh heaviest on the unfortunate. Even the coffin 
in which we inter a friend costs more than any other piece 
of work of the same amount of labour and materials.&quot; 

&quot; This is a gloomy picture of humanity, to be drawn by 
one so young,&quot; Mr. Effingham mildly rejoined. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 395 

t% I think it true. All men do not exhibit their selfishness 
and ferocity in the same way ; but there are few who do 
not exhibit both. As for America, Miss Effingham, she is 
fast getting vices peculiar to herself and her system, and, 
I think, vices which bid fair to bring her down, ere long, to 
the common level, although I do not go quite so far in de 
scribing her demerits as some of the countrymen of Made 
moiselle ViefviHe have gone.&quot; 

&quot; And what may that have been ?&quot; asked the governess 
eagerly, in English. 

&quot; Pourrie avant d^tre mure. Mure, America is certainly 
far from being ; but I am not disposed to accuse her yet of 
being quite pourrie&quot; 

11 We had flattered ourselves,&quot; said Eve, a little reproach 
fully, &quot;with having at last found a countryman in Mr. 
Powis.&quot; 

* And how would that change the question ? Or, do you 
admit that an American can be no American, unless blind 
to the faults of the country, however great?&quot; 

&quot; Would it be generous for a child to turn upon a parent 
that all others assail ?&quot; 

&quot; You put the case ingeniously, but scarcely with fairness, 
it is the duty of the parent to educate and correct the child, 
but it is the duty of the citizen to reform and improve the 
character of his country. How can the latter be done, if 
nothing but eulogies are dealt in? With foreigners, one 
should not deal too freely with the faults of his country, 
though even with the liberal among them one would wish 
to be liberal, for foreigners cannot repair the evil ; but with 
one s countrymen I see little use and much danger, in ob 
serving a silence as to faults. The American, of all others, 
it appears to me, should be the boldest in denouncing the 
common and national vices, since he is one of those who, 
by the institutions themselves, has the power to apply the 
remedy.&quot; 

&quot;But America is an exception, I think, or perhaps it 
would be better to say I feel, since all other people deride 
at, mock her, and dislike her. You will admit this yourself, 
Sir George Templemore ?&quot; 

&quot; By no means : in England, now, I consider America to 
be particularly well esteemed.&quot; 


396 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

E?e held up her pretty hands, and even Mademoiselle 
Viefville, usually so well-toned and self- restrained, gave a 
visible shrug. 

&quot; Sir George means in his county,&quot; drily observed John 
Effingham. n 

&quot; Perhaps the parties would better understand each other, 
said Paul, coolly, &quot; were Sir George Templemore to descend 
to particulars. He belongs himself to the liberal school, and 
may be considered a safe witness.&quot; 

&quot; I shall be compelled to protest against a cross-examina 
tion on such a subject,&quot; returned the baronet, laughing. 
&quot; You will be satisfied, I am certain, with my simple decla 
ration. Perhaps we still regard the Americans as tant soit 
pen rebels ; but that is a feeling that will soon cease.&quot; 

&quot;That is precisely the point on which I think liberal 
Englishmen usually do great justice to America, while it is 
on other points that they betray a national dislike.&quot; 

&quot; England believes America hostile to herself; and if love 
creates love, dislike creates dislike.&quot; 

&quot; This is at least something like admitting the truth of the 
charge, Miss Effingham,&quot; said John Effingham, smiling, 
&quot; and we may dismiss the accused. It is odd enough that 
England should consider America as rebellious, as is the 
case with many Englishmen, I acknowledge, while, in truth, 
England herself was the rebel, and this, too, in connexion 
with the very questions that produced the American revolu- 


1 This is quite new,&quot; said Sir George, &quot; and I confess 
some curiosity to see how it can be made out.&quot; 

John Effingham did not hesitate about stating his case. 

&quot;In the first place you are to forget professions and 
names,&quot; he said, &quot;and to look only at facts and things. 
When America was settled, a compact was made, either in 
the way of charters or of organic laws, by which all the 
colonies had distinct rights, while, on the other hand, they 
confessed allegiance to the king. But in that age the English 
monarch was a king. He used his veto on the laws, for in 
stance, and otherwise exercised his prerogatives. Of the two, 
he influenced parliament more than parliament influenced 
nim. In such a state of things, countries separated by an 


HOMEWARD BOUJTD. 397 

ocean might be supposed to be governed equitably, the com 
mon monarch feeling a common parental regard for all his 
subjects. Perhaps distance might render him evon more 
tender of the interest of those who were not present to pro 
tect themselves.&quot; 

&quot;This is putting the case loyally, at least,&quot; said Sir 
George, as the other paused for a moment. 

&quot; It is precisely in that light that I wish to present it. The 
degree of power that parliament possessed over the colonies 
was a disputed point ; but I am willing to allow that parlia 
ment had all power.&quot; 

&quot; In doing which, I fear, you will concede all the merits, 5 * 
said Mr. Effingham. 

&quot; I think not. Parliament then ruled the colonies abso 
lutely and legally, if you please, under the Stuarts ; but the 
English rebelled against these Stuarts, dethroned them, and 
gave the crown to an entirely new family, one with only 
a remote alliance with the reigning branch. Not satisfied 
with this, the king was curtailed in his authority ; the prince, 
who might with justice be supposed to feel a common inte 
rest in all his subjects, became a mere machine in the hands 
of a body who represented little more than themselves, in 
fact, or a mere fragment of the empire, even in theory ; 
transferring the control of the colonial interest from the 
sovereign himself to a portion of his people, and that, too, 
a small portion. This was no longer a government of a 
prince who felt a parental concern for all his subjects, but a 
government of a clique of his subjects, who felt a selfish 
concern only for their own interests.&quot; 

&quot; And did the Americans urge this reason for the revolt ?&quot; 
asked Sir George. &quot; It sounds new to me.&quot; 

&quot; They quarrelled with the results, rather than with the 
cause. When they found that legislation was to be chiefly 
in the interests of England, they Took the alarm, and seized 
their arms, without stopping to analyse causes. They pro 
bably were mystified too much with names and professions 
to see the real truth, though they got some noble glimpses 
of it.&quot; 

&quot; I have never before heard this case put so strongly, 1 
cried Paul Powis, &quot; and yet I think it contains the whole 
merit of the controversy as a principle.&quot; 
34 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 

* It is extraordinary now nationality blinds us,&quot; observed 
Sir George, laughing. &quot; I confess, Powis,&quot; the late events 
had produced a close intimacy and a sincere regard between 
these two fine young men, ** that I stand in need of an 
explanation.&quot; 

&quot; You can conceive of a monarch,&quot; continued John Effing* 
ham, &quot; who possesses an extensive and efficient power ?&quot; 

&quot; Beyond doubt ; nothing can be plainer than that.&quot; 

&quot; Fancy this monarch to fall into the hands of a frag 
ment of his subjects, who reduce his authority to a mere 
profession, and begin to wield it for their own especial be 
nefit, no longer leaving him a free agent, though always 
using the authority in his name.&quot; 

&quot; Even that is easily imagined.&quot; 

&quot; History is full of such instances. A part of the sub 
jects, unwilling to be the dupes of such a fraud, revolt 
against the monarch in name, against the cabal in fact. 
Now who are the real rebels ? Profession is nothing. Hy- 
der Ally never seated himself in the presence of the prince 
he had deposed, though he held him captive during life.&quot; 

&quot; But did not America acquiesce in the dethronement of 
the Stuarts f asked Eve, in whom the love of the right was 
stronger even than the love of country. 

&quot; Beyond a doubt, though America neither foresaw nor 
acquiesced in all the results. The English themselves, 
probably, did not foresee the consequences of their own 
revolution ; for we now find England almost in arms against 
the consequences of the very subversion of the kingly 
power of which I have spoken. In England it placed a 
portion of the higher classes in possession of authority, at 
the expense of all the rest of the nation ; whereas, as re 
spects America, it set a remote people to rule over her, 
instead of a prince, who had the same connexion with his 
colonies as with all the rest of his subjects. The late Eng 
lish reform is a peaceable revolution ; and America would 
very gladly have done the same thing, could she have extri 
cated herself from the consequences, by mere acts of con 
gress. The whole difference is, that America, pressed upon 
by peculiar circumstances, preceded England in the revolt 
about sixty years, and that this revolt was against an 


HOMEWARD fiOtffi). 399 


Usurper, and not against the legitimate monarch, or against 
the sovereign himself.&quot; 

&quot; I confess all this is novel to me,&quot; exclaimed Sir George-., 

&quot; I have told you, Sir George Templemore, that, if you 
stay long enough in America, many novel ideas will suggest 
themselves. You have too much sense to travel through the 
country seeking for petty exceptions that may sustain your 
aristocratical prejudices, or opinions, if you like that better , 
but will be disposed to judge a nation, not according to pre 
conceived notions, but according to visible facts.&quot; 

&quot; They tell me there is a strong bias to aristocracy in 
America ; at least such is the report of most European tra 
vellers.&quot; 

&quot;The report of men who do not reflect closely on the 
meaning of words. That there are real aristocrats in opinion 
in America is very true ; there are also a few monarchists, 
or those who fancy themselves monarchists.&quot; 

&quot; Can a man be deceived on such a point ?&quot; 

&quot; Nothing is more easy. He who would set up a king 
merely in name, for instance, is not a monarchist, but a 
visionary, who confounds names with things.&quot; 

&quot; I see you will not admit of a balance in the state.&quot; 

&quot;I shall contend that there must be a preponderating 
authority in every government, from which it derives its 
character ; and if this be not the king, that government is 
not a real monarchy, let the laws be administered in whose 
name they may. Calling an idol Jupiter does not convert it 
into a god. I question if there be a real monarchist left in 
the English empire at this very moment. They who make 
the loudest professions that way strike me as being the 
rankest aristocrats, and a real political aristocrat is, and 
always has been, the most efficient enemy of kings.&quot; 

&quot; But we consider loyalty to the prince as attachment to 
the system.&quot; 

&quot; That is another matter ; for in that you may be right 
enough, though it is ambiguous as to terms.&quot; 

&quot; Sir gentlemen Mr. John Effingham, sir,&quot; interrupted 
Saunders, &quot; Mr. Monday is awake, and so werry conwaJes- 
cent I fear he will not live long. The ship herself is not 
eo much conwerted by these new spars as poor Mr. Monday 
is conwerted since he went to sleep.&quot; 


400 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; I feared this,&quot; observed John Effingham, rising. &quot; Ac 
quaint Captain Truck with the fact, steward : he desired to 
be sent for at any crisis.&quot; 

He then quitted the cabin, leaving the rest of the party 
wondering that they could have been already so lost to the 
situation of one of their late companions, however different 
from themselves he might be in opinions and character. But 
in this they merely showed their common connexion with 
all the rest of the great family of man, who uniformly for 
get sorrows that do not press too hard on self, in the reac 
tion of their feelings. 


CHAPTER XXX. 


Watchman, what of the night ? Watchman, what of the night ? 

ISAIAH. 


THE principal hurt of Mr. Monday was one of those 
wounds that usually produce death within eight-and-forty 
hours. He had borne the pain with resolution ; and, as yet, 
had discovered no consciousness of the imminent danger 
that was so apparent to all around him. But a film had 
suddenly past from before his senses ,* and, a man of mere 
habits, prejudices, and animal enjoyments, he had awakened 
at the very termination of his brief existence to something 
like a consciousness of his true position in the moral world, 
as well as of his real physical condition. Under the first 
impulse of such an alarm, John Effingham had been sent 
for ; and he, as has been seen, ordered Captain Truck to be 
summoned. In consequence of the previous understanding- 
these two gentlemen and Mr. Leach appeared at the state 
room door at the same instant. The apartment being small, 
it was arranged between them that the former should entei 
first, having been expressly sent for; and that the others 
should be introduced at the pleasure of the wounded man. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 401 

&quot; I have brought my Bible, Mr. Leach,&quot; said the captain 
when he and the mate were left alone, &quot; for a chapter is 
the very least we can give a cabin-passenger, though I am 
a little at a loss to know what particular passage will be 
the most suitable for the occasion. Something from the 
book of Kings would be likely to suit Mr. Monday, as he is 
a thorough-going king s man.&quot; 

&quot;It is so long since I read that particular book, sir,&quot; 
returned the mate, diligently thumbing his watch-key, &quot; that 
I should be diffident about expressing an opinion. I think, 
however, a little Bible might do him good.&quot; 

&quot; It is not an easy matter to hit a conscience exactly be 
tween wind and water. I once thought of producing an 
impression on the ship s company by reading the account 
of Jonah and the whale as a subject likely to attract their 
attention, and to show them the hazards we seamen run ; 
but, in the end, I discovered that the narration struck them 
all aback as a thing not likely to be true. Jack can stand 
any thing but a fish story, you know, Leach.&quot; 

&quot; It is always better to keep clear of miracles at sea, I 
believe, sir, when the people are to be spoken to : I saw 
some of the men this evening wince about that ship of St. 
Paul s carrying out anchors in a gale.&quot; 

&quot; The graceless rascals ought to be thankful they are not 
at this very moment trotting through the great desert lashed 
to dromedaries tails ! Had I known that, Leach, I would 
have read the verse twice ! But Mr. Monday is altogether 
a different man, and will listen to reason. There is the 
story of Absalom, which is quite interesting ; and perhaps 
the account of the battle might be suitable for one who dies 
in consequence of a battle ; but, on the whole, I remember 
my worthy old father used to say that a sinner ought to be 
well shaken up at such a moment.&quot; 

&quot; I fancy, sir, Mr. Monday has been a reasonably steady 
man as the world goes. Seeing that he is a passenger, I 
should try and ease him off handsomely, and without any 
of these Methodist surges.&quot; 

&quot; You may be right, Leach, you may be right ; do as 
you would be done by is the golden rule after all. But, 
here comes Mr. John Effingham ; so I fancy we may 
enter.&quot; 

34* 


402 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

The captain was not mistaken, for Mr. Monday had just 
taken a restorative, and had expressed a desire to see the 
two officers. The state-room was a small-, neat, and even 
beautifully finished apartment, about seven feet square. It 
had originally been fitted with two berths ; but, previously 
to taking possession of the place, John Effingham had 
caused the carpenter to remove the upper, and Mr. Monday 
now lay in what had been the lower bed. This situation 
placed him below his attendant, and in a position where he 
might be the more easily assisted. A shaded lamp lighted 
the room, by means of which the captain caught the anxious 
expression of the dying man s eye, as he took a seat himself. 

&quot; I am grieved to see you in this state, Mr. Monday,&quot; 
said the master, &quot; and this all the more since it has hap 
pened in consequence of your bravery in fighting to regain 
my ship. By rights this accident ought to have befallen 
one of the Montauk s people, or Mr, Leach, here, or even 
myself, before it befel you.&quot; 

Mr. Monday looked at the speaker as if the intended con 
solation had failed of its effect, and the captain began to sus 
pect that he should find a difficult subject for his new 
ministrations. By way of gaining time, he thrust an elbow 
into the mate s side as a hint that it was now his turn to of 
fer something. 

&quot; It might have been worse, Mr. Monday,&quot; observed Leach, 
shifting his attitude like a man whose moral and physical 
action moved pari passu : &quot; it might have been much worse. 
once saw a man shot in the under jaw, and he lived a fort 
night without any sort of nourishment !&quot; 

Still Mr. Monday gazed at the mate as if he thought mat 
ters could not be much worse. 

&quot; That was a hard case,&quot; put in the captain ; &quot; why, the 
poor fellow had no opportunity to recover without victuals.&quot; 

&quot; No, sir, nor any drink. He never swallowed a mouth 
ful of liquor of any sort from the time he was hit, until he 
took the plunge when we threw him overboard.&quot; 

Perhaps there is truth in the saying that &quot; misery loves 
company,&quot; for the eye of Mr. Monday turned towards the 
table on which the bottle of cordial still stood, and from 
John Effingham had just before helped him to a swal- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 403 

low, under the impression that it was of no moment what he 
took. The captain understood the appeal, and influenced by 
the same opinion concerning the hopelessness of the patient s 
condition, besides being kindly anxious to console him, he 
poured out a small glass, all of which he permitted the other 
to drink. The effect was instantaneous, for it would seem 
this treacherous friend is ever to produce a momentary plea 
sure as a poor compensation for its lasting pains. 

&quot; I don t feel so bad, gentlemen,&quot; returned the wounded 
man with a force of voice that startled his visitors. &quot; I feel 
better much better, and am very glad to see you. Captain 
Truck, I have the honour to drink your health.&quot; 

The captain looked at the mate as if he thought their visit 
was twenty-four hours too soon, for live, all felt sure, Mr. 
Monday could not. But Leach, better placed to observe the 
countenance of the patient, whispered his commander that 
it was merely a &quot; a catspaw, and will not stand.&quot; 

&quot; I am very glad to see you both, gentlemen,&quot; continued 
Mr. Monday, &quot; and beg you to help yourselves.&quot; 

The captain changed his tactics. Finding his patient so 
strong and cheerful, he thought consolation would be more 
easily received just at that moment, than it might be even 
half an hour later. 

* We are all mortal, Mr. Monday &quot; 

&quot; Yes, sir ; all very mortal.&quot; 

&quot; And even the strongest and boldest ought occasionally 
to think of their end.&quot; 

&quot; Quite true, sir ; quite true. The strongest and boldest. 
When do you think we shall get in, gentlemen ?&quot; 

Captain Truck afterwards affirmed that he was &quot; never 
before taken so flat aback by a question as by this.&quot; Still 
he extricated himself from the dilemma with dexterity, the 
spirit of proselytism apparently arising within him in pro 
portion as the other manifested indifference to his offices. 

&quot; There is a port to which we are all steering, my dear 
sir,&quot; he said; &quot;and of which we ought always to bear in 
mind the landmarks and beacons, and that port is Heaven.&quot; 

&quot; Yes,&quot; added Mr. Leach, &quot; a port that, sooner or latter, 
will fetch us all up.&quot; 

Mr. Monday gazed from one to the other, and something 


404 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

like the state of feeling, from which he had been aroused by 
the cordial, began to return. 

&quot; Do you think me so bad, gentlemen ?&quot; he inquired, with 
a little of the eagerness of a startled man. 

&quot; As bad as one bound direct to so good a place as I hope 
and trust is the case with you, can be,&quot; returned the cap 
tain, determined to follow up the advantage he had gained. 
&quot; Your wound, we fear, is mortal, and people seldom remain 
long in this wicked world with such sort of hurts.&quot; 

* If he stands that,&quot; thought the captain, &quot;I shall turn 
him over, at once, to Mr. Effingham.&quot; 

Mr. Monday did not stand it. The illusion produced by 
the liquor, although the latter still sustained his pulses, had 
begun to evaporate, and the melancholy truth resumed ita 
power. 

&quot; I believe, indeed, that I am near my end, gentlemen,&quot; 
he said faintly ; &quot; and am thankful for for this consola 
tion.&quot; 

&quot;Now will be a good time to throw in the chapter,&quot; 
whispered Leach; &quot;he seems quite conscious, and very 
contrite.&quot; 

Captain Truck, in pure despair, and conscious of his own 
want of judgment, had determined to leave the question of 
the selection of this chapter to be decided by chance. Per 
haps a little of that mysterious dependence on Providence, 
which renders all men more or less superstitious, influenced 
him ; and that he hoped a wisdom surpassing his own might 
direct him to a choice. Fortunately, the book of Psalms is 
near the middle of the sacred volume, and a better disposi 
tion of this sublime repository of pious praise and spiritual 
wisdom could not have been made ; for the chance-directed 
peruser of the Bible will perhaps oftener open among its 
pages than at any other place. 

If we should say that Mr. Monday felt any very profound 
spiritual relief from the reading of Captain Truck, we should 
both overrate the manner of the honest sailor, and the intel 
ligence of the dying man. Still the solemn language of 
praise and admonition had an effect, and, for the first time 
since childhood, the soul of the latter was moved. God and 
judgment passed before his imagination, and he gasped for 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 405 

breath in a way that induced the two seamen to suppose the 
fatal moment had come, even sooner than they expected. 
The cold sweat stood upon the forehead of the patient, and 
his eyes glared wildly from one to the other. The pa 
roxysm, however, was transient, and he soon settled down 
into a state of comparative calmness, pushing away the glass 
that Captain Truck offered, in mistaken kindness, with a 
manner of loathing. 

&quot; We must comfort him, Leach,&quot; whispered the captain ; 
&quot; for I see he is fetching up in the old way, as was duly 
laid down by our ancestors in the platform. First, groan- 
ings and views of the devil, and then consolation and hope* 
We have got him into the first category, and we ought now, 
in justice, to bring-to, and heave a strain to help him 
through it.&quot; 

&quot; They generally give em prayer, in the river, in this 
stage of the attack,&quot; said Leach. &quot; If you can remember 
a short prayer, sir, it might ease him off.&quot; 

Captain Truck and his mate, notwithstanding the quaint- 
ness of their thoughts and language, were themselves so 
lemnly impressed with the scene, and actuated by the kindest 
motives. Nothing of levity mingled with their notions, but 
they felt the responsibility of officers of a packet, besides en 
tertaining a generous interest in the fate of a stranger who 
had fallen, fighting manfully at their side. The old man 
looked awkwardly about him, turned the key of the door, 
wiped his eyes, gazed wistfully at the patient, gave his mate 
a nudge with his elbow to follow his example, and knelt 
down with a heart momentarily as devout as is often the 
case with those who minister at the altar. He retained the 
words of the Lord s prayer, and these he repeated aloud, 
distinctly, and with fervour, though not with a literal con 
formity to the text. Once Mr. Leach had to help him to 
the word. When he rose, the perspiration stood on his 
forehead, as if he had been engaged in severe toil. 

Perhaps nothing could have occurred more likely to 
strike the imagination of Mr. Monday than to see one, of 
the known character and habits of Captain Truck, thus 
wrestling with the Lord in his own behalf. Always obtuse 
and dull of thought, the first impression was that of won- 


406 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

der; awe and contrition followed. Even the mate was 
touched, and he afterwards told his companion on deck, 
that &quot; the hardest day s work he had ever done, was lend 
ing a hand to rouse the captain through that prayer.&quot; 

.&quot; I thank you, sir,&quot; gasped Mr. Monday, &quot; I thank you 
Mr. John Effingham now, let me see Mr. John Effing- 
ham. I have no time to lose, and wish to see him.&quot; 

The captain rose to comply, with the feelings of a man 
who had. done his duty, and, from that moment, he had a 
secret satisfaction at having so manfully acquitted himself. 
Indeed, it has been remarked by those who have listened 
to his whole narrative of the passage, that he invariably 
lays more stress on the scene in the state-room, than on 
the readiness and skill with which he repaired the damages 
sustained by his own ship, through the means obtained 
from the Dane, or the spirit with which he retook her from 
the Arabs. 

John Effingham appeared in the state-room, where the 
captain and Mr. Leach left him alone with the patient. 
Like all strong-minded men, who are conscious of their 
superiority over the rest of their fellow creatures, this gen 
tleman felt disposed to concede most to those who were 
the least able to contend with him. Habitually sarcastic 
and stern, and sometimes forbidding, he was now mild and 
discreet. He saw, at a glance, that Mr. Monday s mind 
was alive to novel feelings, and aware that the approach of 
death frequently removes moral clouds that have concealed 
the powers of the spirit while the animal part of the being 
was in full vigour, he was surprised at observing the sud 
den change that was so apparent in the countenance of the 
dying man. 

&quot; I believe, sir, I have been a great sinner,&quot; commenced 
Mr. Monday, who spoke more feebly as the influence of 
the cordial evaporated, and in short and broken sentences. 

&quot; In that you share the lot of all,&quot; returned John Effing 
ham. &quot; We are taught that no man of himself, no unaided 
soul, is competent to its own salvation. Christians look to 
Jhe Redeemer for succour.&quot; 

&quot; I believe I understand you, but I am a business man, 
sir, and have been taught that reparation is the best atone 
ment for a wrong.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 407 

&quot; It certainly should be the first&quot; 

&quot; Yes, indeed it should, sir. I am but the son of poor 
parents, and may have been tempted to some things that 
are improper. My mother, too, I was her only support 
Well, the Lord will pardon it, if it were wrong, as I dare 
say it might have been. I think I should have drunk less 
and thought more, but for this affair perhaps it is not yet 
too late.&quot; 

John Effingham listened with surprise, but with the cool 
ness and sagacity that marked his character. He saw the 
necessity, or at least the prudence, of there being another 
witness present. Taking advantage of the exhaustion of 
the speaker, he stepped to the door of Eve s cabin, and 
signed Paul to follow him. They entered the state-room 
together, when John Effingham took Mr. Monday sooth 
ingly by the hand, offering him a nourishment less exciting 
than the cordial, but which had the effect to revive him. 

&quot; I understand you, sir,&quot; continued Mr. Monday, look 
ing at Paul ; &quot; it is all very proper ; but I have little to 
say the papers will explain it all. Those keys, sir the 
upper drawer of the bureau, and the red morocco case 
take it all this is the key. I have kept everything to 
gether, from a misgiving that an hour would come. In 
New York you will have time it is not yet too late.&quot; 

As the wounded man spoke at intervals, and with diffi 
culty, John Effingham had complied with his directions 
before he ceased. He found the red morocco case, took the 
key from the ring, and showed both to Mr. Monday, who 
smiled and nodded approbation. The bureau contained 
paper, wax, and all the other appliances of writing. John 
Effingham inclosed the case in a strong envelope, and affixed 
to it three seals, which he impressed with his own arms ; 
he then asked Paul for his watch, that the same might be 
done with the seal of his companion. After this precaution, 
he wrote a brief declaration that the contents had been de 
livered to the two, for the purpose of examination, and for 
the benefit of the parties concerned, whoever they might be, 
and signed it. Paul did the same, and the paper was handed 
to Mr. Monday, who had still strength to add his own sig 
nature. 


40$ HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; Men do not usually trifle at such moments,&quot; said John 
Effingham, &quot; and this case may contain matter of moment 
to wronged and innocent persons. The world little knows 
the extent of the enormities that are thus committed. Take 
the case, Mr. Powis, and lock it up with your effects, until 
the moment for the examination shall come.&quot; 

Mr. Monday was certainly much relieved after this con 
signment of the case into safe hands, trifles satisfying the 
compunctions of the obtuse. For more than an hour he 
slumbered. During this interval of rest, Captain Truck 
appeared at the door of the state-room to inquire into the 
condition of the patient, and, hearing a report so favourable, 
in common with all whose duty did not require them to 
watch, he retired to rest. Paul had also returned, and 
offered his services, as indeed did most of the gentlemen ; 
but John Effingham dismissed his own servant even, and 
declared it was his intention not to quit the place that night. 
Mr. Monday had reposed confidence in him, appeared to be 
gratified by his attentions and presence, and he felt it to be 
a sort of duty, under such circumstances, not to desert a 
fellow-creature in his extremity. Anything beyond some 
slight alleviation of the sufferer s pains was hopeless ; but 
this, he rightly believed, he was as capable of administering 
as another. 

Death is appalling to those of the most iron nerves, when 
it comes quietly and in the stillness and solitude of night. 
John Effingham was such a man ; but he felt all the pecu 
liarity of his situation as he sat alone in the state-room by 
the side of Mr. Monday, listening to the washing of the 
waters that the ship shoved aside, and to the unquiet breath 
ing of his patient. Several times he felt a disposition to 
steal away for a few minutes, and to refresh himself by 
exercise in the pure air of the ocean ; but as often was the 
inclination checked by jealous glances from the glazed eye 
of the dying man, who appeared to cherish his presence as 
his own last hope of life. When John Effingham wetted 
the feverish lips, the look he received spoke of gratitude 
and thanks, and once or twice these feelings were audible 
in whispers. He could not desert a being so helpless, so 
dependent ; and, although conscious that he was of no ma- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 109 

terial service beyond sustaining his patient by his presence, 
he felt that this was sufficient to exact much heavier sacri 
fices. 

During one of the troubled slumbers of the dying man, 
his attendant sat watching the struggles of his countenance, 
which seemed to betray the workings of the soul that was 
about to quit its tenement, and he mused on the character 
and fate of the being whose departure for the world of 
spirits he himself was so singularly called on to witness ! 

&quot; Of his origin I know nothing,&quot; thought John Effi ngham, 
&quot; except by his own passing declarations, and the evident 
fact that, as regards station, it can scarcely have reached 
mediocrity. He is one of those who appear to live for the 
most vulgar motives that are admissible among men of any 
culture, and whose refinement, such as it is, is purely of the 
conventional class of habits. Ignorant, beyond the current 
opinions of a set ; prejudiced in all that relates to nations, 
religions, and characters ; wily, with an air of blustering 
honesty ; credulous and intolerant ; bold in denunciations 
and critical remarks, without a spark of discrimination, or 
any knowledge but that which has been acquired under a 
designing dictation ; as incapable of generalizing as he is 
obstinate in trifles; good-humoured by nature, and yet 
querulous from imitation : for what purposes was such a 
creature brought into existence to be hurried out of it in 
this eventful manner ?&quot; The conversation of the evening 
recurred to John Effingham, and he inwardly said, &quot; If 
there exist such varieties of the human race among nations, 
there are certainly as many species, in a moral sense, in 
civilized life itself. This man has his counterpart in a 
particular feature in the every-day American absorbed in 
the pursuit of gain ; and yet how widely different are the 
two in the minor points of character ! While the other 
allows himself no rest, no relaxation, no mitigation of the 
eternal gnawing of the vulture rapacity, this man has made 
self-indulgence the constant companion of his toil ; while 
the other has centered all his pleasures in gain, this English 
man, with the same object in view, but obedient to national 
usages, has fancied he has been alleviating his labours by 
Eensual enjoyments. In what will their ends differ ? From 
* 35 


410 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

the eyes of the American the veil will be torn aside when 
it is too late, perhaps, and the object of his earthly pursuit 
will be made the instrument of his punishment, as he sees 
himself compelled to quit it all for the dark uncertainty of 
the grave; while the blusterer and the bottle-companion 
sinks into a forced and appalled repentance, as the animal 
that has hitherto upheld him loses its ascendency.&quot; 

A groan from Mr. Monday, who now opened his glassy 
eyes, interrupted these musings. The patient signed for the 
nourishment, and he revived a little. 

&quot;What is the day of the week?&quot; he asked, with an 
anxiety that surprised his kind attendant. 

&quot; It is, or rather it was, Monday ; for we are now past 
midnight.&quot; 

&quot; I am glad of it, sir very glad of it.&quot; 

&quot; Why should the day of the week be of consequence to 
you now ?&quot; 

&quot;There is a saying, sir I have faith in sayings they 
told me I was born of a Monday, and should die of a Mon 
day.&quot; 

The other was shocked at this evidence of a lingering 
and abject superstition in one who could not probably sur 
vive many hours, and he spoke to him of the Saviour, and 
of his mediation for man. All this could John Effingham 
do at need ; and he could do it well, too, for few had clearer 
perceptions of this state of probation than himself. His 
weak point was in the pride and strength of his character ; 
qualities that indisposed him in his own practice to rely on 
any but himself, under the very circumstances which would 
impress on others the necessity of relying solely on God. 
The dying man heard him attentively, and the words made 
a momentary impression. 

&quot; I do not wish to die, sir,&quot; Mr. Monday said suddenly, 
after a long pause. 

&quot; It is the general fate ; when the moment arrives, we 
ought to prepare ourselves to meet it.&quot; 

&quot; I am no coward, Mr. Effingham.&quot; 

&quot; In one sense I know you are not, for I have seen you 
proved. I hope you will not be one in any sense. You 
are now in a situation in which manhood will avail you no- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 411 

thing: your dependence should be placed altogether on 
God.&quot; 

&quot; I know it, sir I try to feel thus ; but I do not wish to 
die.&quot; 

&quot; The love of Christ is illimitable,&quot; said John Effingham, 
powerfully affected by the other s hopeless misery. 

&quot; I know it I hope it I wish to believe it. Have you a 
mother, Mr. Effingham ?&quot; 

&quot; She has been dead many years.&quot; 

A wife?&quot; 

John Effingham gasped for breath, and one might have 
mistaken him, at the moment, for the sufferer. 

&quot;None: I am without parent, brother, sister, wife, or 
child. My nearest relatives are in this ship.&quot; 

&quot; I am of little value ; but, such as I am, my mother will 
miss me. We can have but one mother, sir.&quot; 

&quot; This is very true. If you have any commission or 
message for your mother, Mr. Monday, I shall have great 
satisfaction in attending to your wishes.&quot; 

&quot; I thank you, sir ; I know of none. She has her notions 
on religion, and I think it would lessen her sorrow to hear 
that I had a Christian burial.&quot; 

&quot; Set your heart at rest on that subject : all that our situa 
tion will allow, shall be done.&quot; 

&quot; Of what account will it all be, Mr. Effingham 1 I wish 
I had drunk less, and thought more.&quot; 

John Effingham could say nothing to a compunction that 
was so necessary, though so tardy. 

&quot; I fear we think too little of this moment in our health 
and strength, sir.&quot; 

&quot; The greater the necessity, Mr. Monday, of turning our 
thoughts towards that divine mediation which alone can avail 
us, while there is yet opportunity.&quot; 

But Mr. Monday was startled by the near approach of 
death, rather than repentant. He had indurated his feelings 
by the long and continued practice of a deadening self-in 
dulgence, and he was now like a man who unexpectedly 
finds himself in the presence of an imminent and overwhelm, 
ing danger, without any visible means of mitigation or es 
cape. He groaned and looked around him, as if he sought 


412 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

something to cling to, the spirit he had shown in the pride 
of his strength availing nothing. All these, however, were 
but passing emotions, and the natural obtusity of the man 
returned. 

&quot; I do not think, sir,&quot; he said, gazing intently at John 
Effingham, &quot; that I have been a very great sinner.&quot; 

&quot; I hope not, my good friend ; yet none of us are so free 
from spot as not to require the aid of God to fit us for his 
holy presence.&quot; 

&quot; Very true, sir very true, sir. I was duly baptized and 
properly confirmed.&quot; 

&quot; Offices which are but pledges that we are expected to 
redeem.&quot; 

&quot; By a regular priest and bishop, sir ; orthodox and dig 
nified clergymen !&quot; 

&quot; No doubt : England wants none of the forms of religion. 
But the contrite heart, Mr. Monday, will be sure to meet 
with mercy.&quot; 

&quot; I feel contrite, sir ; very contrite.&quot; 

A pause of half an hour succeeded, and John Effingham 
thought at first that his patient had again slumbered ; but, 
looking more closely at his situation, he perceived that his 
eyes often opened and wandered over objects near him. Un 
willing to disturb this apparent tranquillity, the minutes weie 
permitted to pass away uninterrupted, until Mr. Monday 
spoke again of his own accord. 

&quot;Mr. Effingham sir Mr. Effingham,&quot; said the dying 
man. 

&quot; I am near you, Mr. Monday, and will not leave the 
room.&quot; 

&quot; Bless you, bless you, do not you desert me !&quot; 

&quot; I shall remain : set your heart at rest, and let me know 
your wants.&quot; 

&quot; I want life, sir !&quot; 

&quot;That is the gift of God, and its possession depends 
solely on his pleasure. Ask pardon for your sins, and re 
member the mercy and love of the blessed Redeemer.&quot; 

&quot; I try, sir. I do not think I have been a very great sin 
ner.&quot; 

&quot; I hope not : but God can pardon the penitent, however 
great their offences.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 413 

&quot;Yes, sir&amp;gt; I know it I know it. This affair has been 
so unexpected. I have even been at the communion-tablej 
sir : yes, my mother made me commune. Nothing was ne 
glected, sir.&quot; 

John Effingham was often proud and self-willed in his 
communications with men, the inferiority of most of his fel 
low-creatures to himself, in principles as well as mind, being 
too plainly apparent not to influence the opinions of one who 
did not not too closely study his own failings ; but, as re 
spects God, he was habitually reverent and meek. Spiritual 
pride formed no part of his character, for he felt his own 
deficiency in the Christian qualities, the main defect arising 
more from a habit of regarding the infirmities of others than 
from dwelling too much on his own merits. In comparing 
himself with perfection, no one could be more humble ; but 
in limiting the comparison to those around him, few were 
prouder, or few more justly so, were it permitted to make 
such a comparison at all. Prayer with him was not habitual, 
or always well ordered, but he was not ashamed to pray ; 
and when he did bow down his spirit in this manner, it was 
with the force, comprehensiveness, and energy of his cha 
racter. He was now moved by the feeble and common 
place consolations that Mr. Monday endeavoured to extract 
from his situation. He saw the peculiarly deluding and 
cruel substitution of forms for the substance of piety that 
distinguishes the policy of all established churches, though, 
unlike many of his own countrymen, his mind was superior 
to those narrow exaggerations that, on the other hand, too 
often convert innocence into sin, and puff up the votary with 
the conceit of a sectarian and his self-righteousness. 

&quot; I will pray with you, Mr. Monday,&quot; he said, kneeling at 
the side of the dying man s bed : &quot;we will ask mercy of God 
together, and he may lessen these doubts.&quot; 

Mr. Monday made a sign of eager assent, and John Ef 
fingham prayed in a voice that was distinctly audible to the 
other. The petition was short, beautiful, and even lofty 
in language, without a particle of Scripture jargon, or of 
the cant of professed devotees ; but it was a fervent, direct, 
comprehensive, and humble appeal to the Deity for mercy 
on the being who now found himself in extremity. A child 
35* 


414 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

might have understood it, while the heart of a man would 
have melted with its affecting and meek sincerity. It is to 
be hoped that the Great Being, whose Spirit pervades the 
universe, and whose clemency is commensurate with his 
power, also admitted the force of the petition, for Mr. Mon 
day smiled with pleasure when John Effingham arose. 

&quot; Thank you, sir a thousand thanks,&quot; muttered the dy 
ing man, pressing the hand of the other. &quot; This is better 
than all.&quot; 

After this Mr. Monday was easier, and hours passed away 
in nearly a continued silence. John Effingham was now 
com inced that his patient slumbered, and he allowed himself 
to fall into a doze. It was after the morning watch was 
called, that he was aroused by a movement in the berth. Be 
lieving his patient required nourishment, or some fluid to 
moisten his lips, John Effingham offered both, but they were 
declined. Mr. Monday had clasped his hands on his breast, 
with the fingers uppermost, as painters and sculptors are apt 
to delineate them when they represent saints in the act of 
addressing the Deity, and his lips moved, though the words 
were whispered. John Effingham kneeled, and placed his 
ear so close as to catch the sounds. His patient was uttering 
the simple but beautiful petition transmitted by Christ him 
self to man, as the model of all prayer. 

As soon as the other had done, John Effingham repeated 
the same prayer fervently and aloud himself, and when he 
opened his eyes, after this solemn homage to God, Mr. Mon 
day was dead. 


CHAPTER XXXI. 


Let me alone : dost Jhou use to write 

Thy name ? or hast thou a mark to thyself, like an 

Honest, plain-dealing man ? 

JACK CADE. 

AT a later hour, the body of the deceased was consigned 
lo the ocean with the forms that had been observed the pre- 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 415 

vious night at the burial of the seaman. These two cere, 
monies were sad remembrancers of the scene the travellers 
had passed through ; and, for many days, the melancholy 
that they naturally excited pervaded the ship. But, as no 
one connected by blood with any of the living had fallen, 
and it is not the disposition of men to mourn always, this 
feeling gradually subsided, and at the end of three weeks 
the deaths had lost most of their influence, or were recalled 
only at moments by those who thought it wise to dwell on 
such solemn subjects. 

Captain Truck had regained his spirits ; for, if he felt 
mortified at the extraordinary difficulties and dangers that 
nad befallen his ship, he also felt proud of the manner in 
which he had extricated .himself from them. As for the 
mates and crew, they had already returned to their ordi 
nary habits of toil and fun, the accidents of life making but 
brief and superficial impressions on natures accustomed to 
vicissitudes and losses. 

Mr. Dodge appeared to be nearly forgotten during the 
first week after the ship succeeded in effecting her escape ; 
for he had the sagacity to keep himself in the back-ground, 
in the hope that all connected with himself might be over 
looked in the hurry and excitement of events. At the end 
of that period, however, he resumed his intrigues, and was 
soon actively engaged in endeavouring to get up a &quot; public 
opinion,&quot; by means of which he proposed to himself to ob 
tain some reputation for spirit and courage. With what 
success this deeply-laid scheme was likely to meet, as well 
as the more familiar condition of the cabins, may be gath 
ered by a conversation that took place in the pantry, where 
Saunders and Toast were preparing the hot punch for the 
last of the Saturday nights that Captain Truck expected to 
be at sea. This discourse was held while the few who 
chose to join in jollification that peculiarly recalled the re 
collection of Mr. Monday, were slowly assembling round 
the great table at the urgent request of the master. 

&quot; Well, I must say, Mr. Toast,&quot; the steward commenced, 
as he kept stirring the punch, &quot; that I am werry much re 
joiced Captain Truck has resuscertated his old nature, and 
remembers the festivals and fasts, as is becoming the mas- 


416 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

ter of a liner. I can see no good reason because a ship is 
under jury-masts, that the passengers should forego their 
natural rest and diet. Mr. Monday made a good end, they 
say, and he had as handsome a burial as I ever laid eyes, 
on at sea. I don t think his own friends could have in 
terred him more efficaciously, or more piously, had he been 
on shore.&quot; 

&quot; It is something, Mr. Saunders, to be able to reflect be 
forehand on the respectable funeral that your friends have 
just given you. There is a great gratification to contem 
plate on such an ewent.&quot; 

&quot; You improve in language, Toast, that I will allow ; but 
you sometimes get the words a little wrong. We suspect 
before a thing recurs, and reflect on it after it has ewentu- 
ated. You might have suspected the death of poor Mr. 
Monday after he was wounded, and reflected on it after he 
was interred in the water. I agree with you that it is con 
soling to know we have our funeral rights properly deline 
ated. Talking of the battle, Mr. Toast, I shall take this 
occasion to express to you the high opinion I entertain of 
your own good conduct. I was a little afraid you might 
injure Captain Truck in the conflict ; but, so far as I have 
ascertained, on close inwestigation, you hurt nobody. We 
coloured people have some prejudices against us, and I al 
ways rejoice when I meet with one who assists to put them 
down by his conduck.&quot; 

&quot; They say Mr. Dodge didn t do much harm, either,&quot; re 
turned Toast. &quot; For my part I saw nothing of him after I 
opened my eyes ; though I don t think I ever stared about 
me so much in my life.&quot; 

Saunders laid a finger on his nose, and shook his head 
significantly. 

&quot; You may speak to me with confidence and mistrust,, 
Toast,&quot; he said, &quot; for we are friends of the same colour, 
besides being officers in the same pantry. Has Mr- Dodge 
conwersed with you concerning the ewents of those two or 
three werry ewentful days ?&quot; 

&quot; He has insinevated considerable, Mr. Saunders ; though 
I do not think Mr. Dodge is ever a werry free talker.&quot; 

&quot; Has he surgested the propriety of having an account of 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 417 

the whole affair made out by the people, and sustained by 
affidavits ?&quot; 

&quot; Well, sir, I imagine he has. At all ewents, he has been 
much on the forecastle lately, endeavouring to persuade the 
people that they retook the ship, and that the passengers 
were so many encumbrancers in the affair.&quot; 

&quot; And, are the people such non compasses as to believe 
him, Toast?&quot; 

&quot; Why, sir, it is agreeable to humanity to think well of 
ourselves. I do not say that anybody actually believes 
this ; but, in my poor judgment, Mr. Saunders, there are 
men in the ship that would find it pleasant to believe it, if 
they could.&quot; 

&quot; Werry true ; for that is natural. Your hint, Toast, has 
enlightened my mind on a little obscurity that has lately 
prewailed over my conceptions. There are Johnson, and 
Briggs, and Hewson, three of the greatest skulks in the ship, 
the only men who prewaricated in the least, so much as by 
a cold look, in the fight ; and these three men have told me 
that Mr. Dodge was the person who had the gun put on the 
box; and that he druv the Arabs upon the raft. Now, I 
say, no men with their eyes open could have made such a 
mistake, except they made it on purpose. Do you corrobo 
rate or contra werse this statement, Toast ?&quot; 

&quot; I contrawerse it, sir ; for in my poor judgment it was 
Mr. Blunt.&quot; 

&quot; I am glad we are of the same opinion. I shall say 
nothing till the proper moment arrives, and then I shall ex 
hibit my sentiments, Mr. Toast, without recrimination or 
anxiety, for truth is truth.&quot; 

&quot; I am happy to observe that the ladies are quite relaxed 
from their melancholy, and that they now seem to enjoy 
themselves ostensibly.&quot; 

Saunders threw a look of envy at his subordinate, whose 
progress in refinement really alarmed his own sense of su 
periority; but suppressing the jealous feeling, he replied 
with dignity, 

&quot;^The remark is quite just, Mr. Toast, and denotes pene 
tration. I am always rejoiced when I perceive you elewating 
your thoughts to superior objects, for the honour of the 
colour.&quot; 


418 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

u Mister Saunders,&quot; called out the captain from his seal 
in the arm-chair, at the head of the table. 

&quot; Captain Truck, sir.&quot; 

&quot; Let us taste your liquors.&quot; 

This was the signal that the Saturday-night was about to 
commence, and the officers of the pantry presented their 
compounds in good earnest. On this occasion the ladies 
had quietly, but firmly declined being present, but the earn 
est appeals of the well-meaning captain had overcome the 
scruples of the gentlemen, all of whom, to avoid the appear 
ance of disrespect to his wishes, had consented to appear. 

&quot; This is the last Saturday night, gentlemen, that I shall 
probably ever have the honour of passing in your good 
company,&quot; said Captain Truck, as he disposed of the 
pitchers and glasses before him, so that he had a perfect 
command of the appliances of the occasion, and I feel it 
to be a gratification with which I would not willingly dis 
pense. We are now to the westward of the Gulf, and, ac 
cording to my observations and calculations, within a hun 
dred miles of Sandy Hook, which, with this mild south 
west wind, and our weatherly position, I hope to be able to 
show you some time about eight o clock to-morrow morn 
ing. Quicker passages have been made certainly, but forty 
days, after all, is no great matter for the westerly run, con 
sidering that we have had a look at Africa, and are walking 
on crutches.&quot; 

&amp;lt; We owe a great deal to the trades,&quot; observed Mr. Ef- 
fmgham ; &quot; which have treated us as kindly towards the 
end of the passage, as they seemed reluctant to join us in 
the commencement. It has been a momentous month, and 
I hope we shall all retain healthful recollections of it as 
long as we live.&quot; 

&quot; No one will retain as grateful recollections of it as my 
self, gentlemen,&quot; resumed the captain. &quot;You had no 
agency in getting us into the scrape, but the greatest possi- 
bfe agency in getting us out of it. Without the knowledge, 
prudence, and courage that you have all displayed, God 
knows what would have become of the poor Montauk, and 
from the bottom of my heart I thank you, each and all, 
while I have the heartfelt satisfaction of seeing you around 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 419 

me, and of drinking to your future health, happiness and 
prosperity.&quot; 

The passengers acknowledged their thanks in return, by 
bows, among which, that of Mr. Dodge was the most elabo 
rate and conspicuous. The honest captain was too much 
touched, to observe this little piece of audacity, but, at that 
moment, he could have taken even Mr. Dodge in his arms 
and pressed him to his heart. 

&quot; Come, gentlemen,&quot; he continued ; let us fill and do 
honour to the night. God has us all in his holy keeping, 
and we drift about in the squalls of life, pretty much as he 
orders the wind to blow. * Sweethearts and wives ! and s 
Mr. Effingham, we will not forget beautiful, spirited, sensi 
ble, and charming daughters.&quot; 

After this piece of nautical gallantry, the glass began to 
circulate. The captain, Sir George Templemore as the 
false baronet was still called in the cabin, and believed to 
be by all but those who belonged to the coterie of Eve 
and Mr. Dodge, indulged freely, though the first was too 
careful of the reputation of his ship, to forget that he was 
on the American coast in November. The others partook 
more sparingly, though even they submitted in a slight de 
gree to the influence of good cheer, and for the first time 
since their escape, the laugh was heard in the cabin as was 
wont before to be the case. An hour of such indulgence 
produced again some of the freedom and ease which mark 
the associations of a ship, after the ice is fairly broken, and 
even Mr. Dodge began to be tolerated. This person, not 
withstanding his conduct on the occasion of the battle, had 
contrived to maintain his ground with the spurious baronet, 
by dint of assiduity and flattery, while the others had rather 
felt pity than aversion, on account of his abject cowardice. 
The gentlemen did not mention his desertion at the critical 
moment, (though Mr. Dodge never forgave those who wit 
nessed it,) for they looked upon his conduct as the result of 
a natural and unconquerable infirmity, that rendered him 
as much the subject of compassion as of reproach. En 
couraged by this forbearance, and mistaking its motives, he 
had begun to hope his absence had not been detected in the 
confusion of the fight, and he had even carried his audacity 


420 HOMEWARD BCfOJf0. 

BO far, as to make an attempt to persuade Mr. Sharp thai 
he had actually been one of those who went in the launch 
of the Dane, to bring down the other boat and raft to the 
reef, after the ship had been recaptured. It is true, in this 
attempt, he had met with a cold repulse, but it was so gen 
tlemanlike and distant, that he had still hopes of succeed 
ing in persuading the other to believe what he affirmed ; by 
way of doing which, he endeavoured all he could to believe 
it himself. So much confusion existed in his own faculties 
during the fray, that Mr. Dodge was fain to fancy others 
also might not have been able to distinguish things very ac 
curately. 

Under the influence of these feelings, Captain Truck, 
when the glass had circulated a little freely, called on the 
Editor of the Active Inquirer, to favour the company with 
some more extracts from his journal. Little persuasion 
was necessary, and Mr. Dodge went into his state-room to 
bring forth the valuable records of his observations and 
opinions, with a conviction that all was forgotten, and that 
he was once more about to resume his proper place in the 
social relations of the ship. As for the four gentlemen who 
had been over the ground the other pretended to describe, 
they prepared to listen, as men of the world would be apt 
to listen to the superficial and valueless comments of a tyro, 
though not without some expectations of amusement. 

&quot; I propose that we shift the scene to London,&quot; said 
Captain Truck, &quot; in order that a plain seaman, like myself, 
may judge of the merits of the writer which, I make no 
doubt, are very great ; though I cannot now swear to it 
with as free a conscience as I could wish.&quot; 

&quot; If I knew the pleasure of the majority,&quot; returned Mr. 
Dodge, dropping the journal, and looking about him in 
quiringly, &quot; I would cheerfully comply with it ; for I think the 
majority should always rule. Paris, or London, or the Rhine, 
are the same to me ; I have seen them all, and am just as 
well qualified to describe the one as to describe the other.&quot; 
&quot; No one doubts it, my dear sir ; but I am not as well 
qualified to understand one of your descriptions as I am to 
understand another. Perhaps, even you, sir, may express 
yourself more readily, and have better understood what was 
said to you, in English, than in a foreign tongue.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; As for that, I do not think the value of my remarks ig 
lessened by the one circumstance, or enhanced by the other, 
sir. I make it a rule always to be right, if possible ; and 
that, I fancy, is as much as the natives of the countries 
themselves can very well effect. You have only to decide, 
gentlemen, whether it shall be England, or France, or the 
Continent.&quot; 

&quot; I confess an inclination to the Continent&quot; said John 
Effingham ; &quot; for one could scarcely wish to limit a com 
prehensiveness like that of Mr. Dodge s to an island, 01 
even to France.&quot; 

&quot; I see how it is,&quot; exclaimed the captain ; &quot; we must 
put the traveller through all his paces, and have a little of 
both ; so Mr. Dodge will have the kindness to touch on all 
things in heaven and earth, London and Paris inclusive.&quot; 

On this hint the journalist turned over a few pages care 
lessly, and then commenced : 

&quot; * Reached Bruxelles (Mr. Dodge pronounced this word 
Brucksills) at seven in the evening, and put up at the best 
house in the place, called the Silver Lamb, which is quite 
near the celebrated town-house, and, of course in the very 
centre of the beau quarter. As we did not leave until after 
breakfast next morning, the reader may expect a description 
of this ancient capital. It lies altogether on a bit of low, 
level land &quot; 

&quot; Nay, Mr. Dodge,&quot; interrupted the soi-disant Sir George, 
&quot; I think that must be an error. I have been at Brussels, 
and I declare, now, it struck me as lying a good deal on 
the side of a very steep hill !&quot; 

&quot; All a mistake, sir, I do assure you. There is no more 
hill at Brucksills than on the deck of this ship. You have 
been in too great a hurry, my dear Sir George ; that is the 
way with most travellers ; they do not give themselves time 
to note particulars. You English especially, my dear Sir 
George, are a little apt to be precipitate ; and I dare say, 
you travelled post, with four horses, a mode of getting on 
by which a man may very well transfer a hill, in his ima 
gination, from one town to another. I travelled chiefly in 
a voitury, which afforded leisure for remarks.&quot; 

Here Mr. Dodge laughed ; for he felt that he had got the 
best of it. 

36 


422 HOMEWARD BOUND* 

* I think you are bound to submit, Sir George Temple* 
more&quot; said John Effingham, with an emphasis on the name 
that raised a smile among his friends ; &quot; Brussels certainly 
lies on a flat ; and the hill you saw has, doubtless, been 
brought up with you from Holland in your haste. Mr. 
Dodge enjoyed a great advantage in his mode of travelling ; 
for, by entering a town in the evening, and quitting it only 
in the morning, he had the whole night to look about him. * 

&quot; That was just my mode of proceeding, Mr. John Effing- 
ham ; I made it a rule to pass an entire night in every large 
town I came to.&quot; 

&quot; A circumstance that will give a double value to your 
opinions with our countrymen, Mr. Dodge, since they very 
seldom give themselves half that leisure when once in mo 
tion. I trust you have not passed over the institutions of 
Belgium, sir ; and most particularly the state of society in 
the capital, of which you saw so much ?&quot; 

&quot; By no means ; here are my remarks on these subjects : 
* Belgium, or The Beiges, as the country is now called, 
is one of the upstart kingdoms that have arisen in our 
times ; and which, from signs that cannot be mistaken, is 
fated soon to be overturned by the glorious principles of 
freedom. The people are ground down, as usual, by the 
oppression of hard task-masters, and bloody-minded priests. 
The monarch, who is a bigoted Catholic of the House of 
Saxony, being a son of the king of that country, and a 
presumptive heir to the throne of Great Britain, in right of 
his first wife, devoting all his thoughts to miracles and 
saints. The nobles form a class by themselves, indulging 
in all sorts of vices. I beg pardon, Sir George, but the 
truth must be told in our country, or one had better never 
speak. * All sorts of vices, and otherwise betraying the 
monstrous tendencies of the system. &quot; 

&quot; Pray, Mr. Dodge,&quot; interrupted John Effingham, &quot; have 
you said nothing as to the manner in which the inhabitants 
relieve the eternal ennui of always walking on a level sur 
face?&quot; 

&quot; I am afraid not, sir My attention was chiefly given 
to the institutions, and to the state of society, although I 
can readily imagine they must get to be heartily tired of a 
dead flat.&quot; 


P HOMEWARD BOUND. 423 

1 Why, sir, they have contrived to run a street up and 
down the roof of the cathedral ; and up and down this 
street they trot all hours of the day.&quot; 

Mr. Dodge looked distrustful ; but John Effingham main 
tained his gravity. After a pause the former continued : 

&quot; The usages of Brucksills are a mixture of Low Dutch 
and High Dutch habits, as is the language. The king being 
a Polander, and a grandson of Augustus, king of Poland, is 
anxious to introduce the customs of the Russians into his 
court; while his amiable young queen, who was born in 
New Jersey when her illustrious father kept the school at 
Haddonfield, early imbibed those notions of republicanism 
which so eminently distinguish his Grace the Honourable 
Louis Philippe Orleans, the present King of the French 

Nay, Mr. Dodge,&quot; said Mr. Sharp, &quot; you will have all 
the historians ready to cut your throat with envy !&quot; 

&quot; Why, sir, I feel it a duty not to throw away the great 
opportunities I have enjoyed ; and America is a country in 
which an editor may never hope to mystify his readers. 
We deal with them in facts, Mr. Sharp ; and, although this 
may not be your English practice, we think that truth is 
powerful and will prevail. To continue, The kingdom 
of the Beiges is about as large as the north-east corner of 
Connecticut, including one town in Rhode Island ; and the 
whole population may be about equal to that of our tribe of 
Creek Indians, who dwell in the wilder parts of our state 
of Georgia. &quot; 

&quot; This particularity is very convincing,&quot; observed Paul ; 
&quot; and then it has the merit, too, of coming from an eye 
witness.&quot; 

&quot; I will now, gentlemen, return with you to Paris, where 
I stayed all of three weeks, and of the society of which my 
knowledge of the language will, of course, enable me to 
give a still more valuable account.&quot; 

&quot;You mean to publish these hints, I trust, sir?&quot; inquired 
the captain. 

&quot; I shall probably collect them, and enlarge them in the 
way of a book ; but they have already been laid before the 
American public in the columns of the Active Inquirer. I 
can assure you, gentlemen, that my co leagues of the press 


424 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

have spoken quite favourably of the letters as they appeared. 
Perhaps you would like to hear some of their opinions ?&quot; 

Hereupon Mr. Dodge opened a pocket-book, out of which 
he took six or eight slips of printed paper, that had been 
preserved with care, though obviously well thumbed. Open 
ing one, he read as follows : 

&quot; Our friend Dodge, of the Active Inquirer, is instructing 
his readers, and edifying mankind in general, with some 
very excellent and pungent remarks on the state of Europe, 
which part of the world he is now exploring with some such 
enterprise and perseverance as Columbus discovered when 
he entered on the unknown waste of the Atlantic. His 
opinions meet with our unqualified approbation, being sound, 
American, and discriminating. We fancy these Europeans 
will begin to think in time that Jonathan has some pretty 
shrewd notions concerning themselves, the critturs ! This 
was extracted from the People s Advocate, a journal edited 
with great ability, by Peleg Pond, esquire, a thoroughgoing 
republican, and a profound observer of mankind.&quot; 

&quot; In his own parish in particular,&quot; quaintly added John 
Effingham. &quot; Pray, sir, have you any more of these criti 
cal morceaux ?&quot; 

&quot; At least a dozen,&quot; beginning to read again. &quot; * Stead 
fast Dodge, esquire, the editor of the Active Inquirer, is now 
travelling in Europe, and is illuminating the public mind at 
home by letters that are Johnsonian in style, Chesterfieldian 
in taste and in knowledge of the world, with the redeeming 
qualities of nationality, and republicanism, and truth. We 
rejoice to perceive by these valuable contributions to Ameri 
can literature, that Steadfast Dodge, esquire, finds no reason 
to envy the inhabitants of the Old World any of their 
boasted civilization; but that, on the contrary, he is im 
pressed with the superiority of our condition over all coun 
tries, every post that he progresses. America has produced 
but few men like Dodge ; and even Walter Scott might not 
be ashamed to own some of his descriptions. We hope he 
may long continue to travel. &quot; 

&quot; Voitury&quot; added John Effingham gravely. &quot; You per 
ceive, gentlemen, how modestly these editors set forth their 
intimacy with the traveller our friend Dodge, of the 
Active Inquirer, and Steadfast Dodge, esquire ! a mode 


HOMEWARD BOUBTD. 425 

of expression that speaks volumes for their own taste, and 
their profound deference for their readers !&quot; 

&quot; We always speak of each other in this manner, Mr, 
John Effingham that is our esprit du corps&quot; 

&quot; And I should think that there would be an esprit de 
corps in the public to resist it,&quot; observed Paul Blunt. 

The distinction was lost on Mr. Dodge, who turned over 
to one of his most elaborate strictures on the state of society 
in France, with all the self-complacency of besotted igno 
rance and provincial superciliousness. Searching out a 
place to his mind, this profound observer of men and man 
ners, who had studied a foreign people, whose language 
when spoken was gibberish to him, by travelling five days 
in a public coach, and living four weeks in taverns and 
eating-houses, besides visiting three theatres, in which he 
did not understand a single word that was uttered, pro 
ceeded to lay before his auditors the results of his obser 
vations. 

&quot; The state of female society in France is truly awful, 
he resumed, * the French Revolution, as is universally 
known, having left neither decorum, modesty, nor beauty 
in the nation. I walk nightly in the galleries of the Palais 
Royal, where I locate myself, and get every opportunity of 
observing the peculiarities of ladies of the first taste and 
fashion in the metropolis of Europe. There is one duchess 
in particular, whose grace and embonpoint have, I confess, 
attracted rny admiration. This lady, as my lacquais de 
place informs me, is sometimes termed la mere du peuple, 
from her popularity and affability. The young ladies of 
France, judging from the specimens I have seen here 
which must be of the highest class in the capital, as the 
spot is under the windows of one of the royal palaces are 
by no means observable for that quiet reserve and modest 
diffidence that distinguish the fair among our own young 
countrywomen ; but it must be admitted they are remarka 
ble for the manner in which they walk alone, in my judg 
ment a most masculine and unbecoming practice. Woman 
was not made to live alone, and I shall contend that she 
was not made to walk alone. At the same time, I confess 
there is a certain charm in the manner in which these ladies 
36* 


426 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

place a hand in each pocket of their aprons, and balance 
their bodies, as they move like duchesses through the galle 
ries. If I might humbly suggest, the American fair might. 
do worse than imitate this Parisian step ; for, as a traveller, 
I feel it a duty to exhibit any superior quality that other 
nations possess. I would also remark on the general sua 
vity of manners that the ladies of quality (this word Mr. 
Dodge pronounced qua-a-lity,) observe in their promenades 
in and about this genteel quarter of Paris. &quot; 

&quot; The French ladies ought to be much flattered with this 
notice of them,&quot; cried the captain, filling Mr. Dodge s glass. 
&quot; In the name of truth and penetration, sir, proceed.&quot; 

&quot; c I have lately been invited to attend a ball in one of 
the first families of France, which resides in the Rue St. 
Jaques, or the St. James of Paris. The company was 
select, and composed of many of the first persons in the 
kingdom of des Franqais. The best possible manners 
were to be seen here, and the dancing was remarkable for 
its grace and beauty. The air with which the ladies turned 
their heads on one side, and inclined their bodies in advan 
cing and retiring, was in the first style of the court of 
Terpsichore. They were all of the very first families of 
France. I heard one excuse herself for going away so 
early, as Madame la Duchesse expected her ; and another 
observed that she was to leave town in the morning with 
Madame la Vicomtesse. The gentlemen, with few excep 
tions, were in fancy dresses, appearing in coats, some of 
sky-blue, some green, some scarlet, and some navy-blue, as 
fancy dictated, and all more or less laced on the seams ; 
much in the manner as was the case with the Honourable 
the King the morning I saw him leave for Nully. This 
entertainment was altogether the best conducted of any I 
ever attended, the gentlemen being condescending, and with 
out the least pride, and the ladies all grace. &quot; 

&quot; Graces would be more expressive, if you will excuse 
my suggesting a word, sir,&quot; observed John Effingham, as 
the other paused to take breath. 

&quot; I have observed that the people in most monarchies 
are abject and low-minded in their deportment. Thus the 
men take off their hats when they enter churches, although 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 427 

the minister be not present ; and even the boys take off 
their hats when they enter private houses. This is com 
mencing servility young. I have even seen men kneeling 
on the cold pavements of the churches in the most abject 
manner, and otherwise betraying the feeling naturally 
created by slavish institutions.&quot; 

&quot; Lord help em !&quot; exclaimed the captain, &quot; if they 
begin so young, what a bowing and kneeling set of black 
guards they will get to be in time.&quot; 

&quot; It is to be presumed that Mr. Dodge has pointed out 
the consequences in the instance of the abject old men 
mentioned, who probably commenced their servility by 
entering houses with their hats off,&quot; said John Effingham. 

&quot; Just so, sir,&quot; rejoined the editor. &quot; I throw in these 
little popular traits because I think they show the differ- 
. ences between nations.&quot; 

&quot; From which I infer,&quot; said Mr. Sharp, &quot; that in your 
part of America boys do not take off their hats when they 
enter houses, nor men kneel in churches ?&quot; 

&quot; Certainly not, sir. Our people get their ideas of man 
liness early ; and as for kneeling in churches, we have 
some superstitious sects I do not mention them ; but, on 
the whole, no nation can treat the house of God more ra 
tionally than we do in America.&quot; 

&quot;That I will vouch for,&quot;.- rejoined John Effingham ; 
&quot; for the last time I was at home I attended a concert in 
one of them, where an artiste of singular nasal merit 
favoured the company with that admirable piece of con 
joined sentiment and music entitled Four-and-twenty fid 
dlers all in a row!&quot; 

&quot; Fll engage for it,&quot; cried Mr. Dodge, swelling with na 
tional pride; &quot;and felt all the time as independent and 
easy as if he was in a tavern. Oh ! superstition is quite 
extinct in Ameriky ! But I have a few remarks on the 
church in my notes upon England : perhaps you would 
like to hear them ?&quot; 

&quot; Let me intreat you to read them,&quot; said the true Sir 
George Templemore, a little eagerly. 

&quot; Now, I protest against any illiberality,&quot; added the 
false Sir George, shaking his finger. 


428 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

Mr. Dodge disregarded both ; but, turning to the place, 
he read aloud with his usual self-complacency and unction. 

&quot; l To-day, I attended public worship in St. church, 

Minories. The congregation was composed of many of 
the first people of England, among whom were present Sir 
Solomon Snore, formerly HIGH sheriff of London, a gen 
tleman of the first consideration in the empire, and the 
celebrated Mr. Shilling, of the firm of Pound, Shilling, and 
Pence. There was certainly a fine air of polite life in the 
congregation, but a little too much idolatry. Sir Solomon 
and Mr. Shilling were both received with distinction, which 
was very proper, when we remember their elevated rank ; 
but the genuflexions and chaunting met with my very un 
qualified disapprobation. &quot; 

&quot;Sir Solomon and the other personage you mention 
were a little pursy, perhaps,&quot; observed Mr. Sharp, &quot; which, 
destroyed their grace.&quot; 

&quot; I disapprove of all kneeling, on general principles, 
sir. If we kneel to one, we shall get to kneel to another, 
and no one can tell where it will end. &amp;lt; The exclusive 
manner in which the congregation were seated in pews, 
with sides so high that it was difficult to see your nearest 
neighbour; and &quot;these pews (Mr. Dodge pronounced this 
word poohs,) have often curtains that completely enclose 
their owners, a system of selfishness that would not be 
long tolerated in AmerikyS &quot; 

&quot; Do individuals own their pews in America?&quot; inquired 
Mr. Sharp. 

&quot; Often,&quot; returned John Effingham ; &quot; always, except in 
those particular portions of the country where it is deemed 
invidious, and contrary to the public rights, to be better off 
than one s neighbour, by owning any thing that all the com 
munity has not a better claim to than its proprietor.&quot; 

&quot; And cannot the owner of a pew curtain it, with a view 
to withdraw into himself at public worship?&quot; 

&quot; America and England are the antipodes of each other 
in all these things. I dare say, now, that you have come 
among us with an idea that our liberty is so very licentious, 
that aman may read a newspaper by himself?&quot; 

&quot; I confess, certainly, to that much,&quot; retmned Mr. Sharp 
smiling. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 429 

&quot; We shall teach him better than this, Mr. Dodge, before 
we let him depart. No, sir, you have very contracted ideas 
of liberty, I perceive. With us every thing is settled by 
majorities. We eat when the majority eats ; drink, when the 
majority drinks; sleep, when the majority sleeps; pray, 
when the majority prays. So far from burying ourselves in 
deep wells of pews, with curtains round their edges, we have 
raised the floors, amphitheatre fashion, so that every body 
can see every body ; have taken away the sides of the pews, 
which we have converted into free and equal seats, and have 
cut down the side of the pulpit so that we can look at the 
clergyman ; but I understand there is actually a project on 
foot to put the congregation into the pulpit, and the parson 
into the aisle, by way of letting the latter see that he is no 
better than he should be. This would be a capital arrange 
ment, Mr. Dodge, for the Four-and-twenty fiddlers all in a 
row. &quot; 

The editor of the Active Inquirer was a little distrustful of 
John Effingham, and he was not sorry to continue his ex 
tracts, although he was obliged to bring himself still further 
under the fire of his assailant. 

&quot; * This morning, Mr. Dodge resumed, I stepped into the 
coffee-room of the Shovel and Tongs, public-house, to read 
the morning paper, and, taking a seat by the side of a 
gentleman who was reading the Times, and, drawing to 
me the leaves of the journal, so that it would be more con 
venient to peruse, the man insolently and arrogantly de 
manded of me, What the devil I meant T This intolerance 
in the English character is owing to the narrowness of the 
institutions, under which men come to fancy liberty applies 
to persons instead of majorities. &quot; 

&quot; You perceive, Mr. Sharp,&quot; said John Effingham, &quot; how 
much more able a stranger is to point out the defects of na 
tional character than a native. I dare say that in indulging 
your individuality, hitherto, you have imagined you were 
enjoying liberty.&quot; 

&quot; I fear I have committed some such weakness but Mr. 
Dodge will have the goodness to proceed.&quot; 

The editor complied as follows : &quot; Nothing has sur 
prised me more than the grovelling propensities of the En- 


430 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

glish on the subject of names. Thus this very inn, which 
in America would be styled the Eagle Tavern, or the 
* Oriental or Occidental Hotel, or the Anglo-Saxon Demo- 
cratical Coffee-house, or some other equally noble and dig 
nified appellation, is called the * Shovel and Tongs. One 
tavern, which might very appropriately be termed The 
Saloon of Peace, is very vulgarly called Dolly s Chop- 
house. &quot; 

All the gentlemen, not excepting Mr. Sharp, murmured 
their disgust at so coarse a taste. But most of the party be 
gan now to tire of this pretending ignorance and provincial 
vulgarity, and, one by one, most of them soon after left the 
table. Captain Truck, however, sent for Mr. Leach, and 
these two worthies, with Mr. Dodge and the spurious baronet, 
sat an hour longer, when all retired to their berths. 


CHAPTER XXXII. 



I ll meet thee at PhilippL 


SHAKSPEARK. 


HAPPY is the man who arrives on the coast of New York, 
with the wind at the southward, in the month of November. 
There are two particular conditions of the weather, in which 
the stranger receives the most unfavourable impressions of 
the climate that has been much and unjustly abused, but 
which two particular conditions warrant all the evil that has 
been said of it. One is a sweltering day in summer, and 
the other an autumnal day, in which the dry north wind 
scarce seems to leave any marrow in the bones. 

The passengers of the Montauk escaped both these evils, 
and now approached the coast with a bland southwest breeze, 
and a soft sky. The ship had been busy in the night, and 
when the party assembled on deck in the morning, Captain 
Truck told them, that in an hour they should have a sight 
of the long-desired western continent. As the packet was 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 431 

running in at the rate of nine knots, under topmast and top 
gallant studding-sails, being to windward of her port, this 
was a promise that the gallant vessel seemed likely enough 
to redeem. 

&quot; Toast !&quot; called out the captain, who had dropped into 
his old habits as naturally as if nothing had occurred, &quot; bring 
me a coal ; and you, master steward, look well to the break 
fast this morning. If the wind stands six hours longer, I 
shall have the grief of parting with this good company, and 
you the grief of knowing you will never set another meal 
before them. These are moments to awaken sentiment, and 
yet I never knew an officer of the pantry that did not begin 
to grin as he drew near his port.&quot; 

&quot; It is usually a cheerful moment with every one, I be 
lieve, Captain Truck,&quot; said Eve, &quot; and most of all, should 
it be one of heartfelt gratitude with us.&quot; 

&quot;Ay, ay, my dear young lady; and yet I fancy Mr. 
Saunders will explain it rather differently. Has no one sung 
out &amp;lt; land, yet, from aloft, Mr. Leach? The sands of New 
Jersey ought to be visible before this.&quot; 

&quot; We have seen the haze of the land since daylight, but 
not land itself.&quot; 

&quot; Then, like old Columbus, the flowered doublet is mine 

land, ho !&quot; 

The mates and the people laughed, and looking ahead, 
they nodded to each other, and the word &quot; land&quot; passed from 
mouth to mouth, with the indifference with which mari 
ners first see it in short passages. Not so with the rest. 
They crowded together, and endeavoured to catch a glimpse 
of the coveted shore, though, with the exception of Paul, 
neither could perceive it. 

&quot; We must call on you for assistance,&quot; said Eve, who 
now seldom addressed the handsome young seaman without 
a flush on her own beautiful face ; &quot; for we are all so lub 
berly that none of us can see that which we so earnestly 
desire.&quot; 

&quot; Have the kindness to look over the stock of that anchor,&quot; 
said Paul, glad of an excuse to place himself nearer to 
Eve ; &quot; and you will discover an object on the water.&quot; 

&quot; I do,&quot; said Eve, &quot; but is it not a vessel ?&quot; 


432 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; It is ; but a little to the right of that vessel,, do you not 
perceive a hazy object at some elevation above the sea 1&quot; 

&quot;The cloud, you mean a dim, ill-defined, dark body 
of vapour ?&quot; 

&quot; So it may seem to you, but to me it appears to be the 
land. That is the bluff-like termination of the celebrated 
high lands of Navesink. By watching it for half an hour, 
you will perceive its form and surface grow gradually more 
distinct.&quot; 

^ Eve eagerly pointed out the place to Mademoiselle Vief- 
ville and her father, and from that moment, for near an 
hour, most of the passengers kept it steadily in view. As 
Paul had said, the blue of this hazy object deepened ; then 
its base became connected with the water, and it ceased to 
resemble a cloud at all. In twenty more minutes, the faces 
and angles of the hills became visible, and trees started 
out of their sides. In the end a pair of twin lights were 
seen perched on the summit. 

But the Montauk edged away from these highlands, and 
shaped her course towards a long low spit of sand, that 
lay several miles to the northward of them. In this direc 
tion, fifty small sail were gathering into, or diverging from 
the pass, their high, gaunt-looking canvas resembling so 
many church towers on the plains of Lombardy. These 
were coasters, steering towards their several havens. Two 
or three outward-bound ships were among them, holding 
their way in the direction of China, the Pacific Ocean, or 
Europe. 

About nine, the Montauk met a large ship standing on a 
bowline, with every thing set that would draw, and heaping 
the water under her bows. A few minutes after, Captain 
Truck, whose attention had been much diverted from the 
surrounding objects by the care of his ship, came near the 
group of passengers, and once more entered into conver 
sation. 

&quot; Here we are, my dear young lady,&quot; he cried, &quot; within 
five leagues of Sandy Hook, which lies hereaway, under 
our lee bow ; as pretty a position as heart could wish. This 
lank, hungry-looking schooner in-shore of us, is a news- 
vessel, and, as soon as she is done with the brig near her, 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 433 

we shall have her in chase, when there will be a good op- 
portunity to get rid of all our spare lies. This little fellow 
to leeward, who is clawing up towards us, is the pilot ; after 
whose arrival, my functions cease, and I shall have little to 
do but to rattle off Saunders and Toast, and to feed the 
pigs.&quot; 

&quot; And who is this gentleman ahead of us, with his main- 
topsail to the mast, his courses in the brails, and his helm 
a-lee?&quot; asked Paul. 

&quot; Some chap who has forgotten his knee-buckles, and has 
been obliged to send a boat up to town to hunt for them,&quot; 
coolly rejoined the captain, while he sought the focus of the 
glass, and levelled it at the vessel in question. The look 
was long and steady, and twice Captain Truck lowered the 
instrument to wipe the moisture from his own eye. At 
length, he called out, to the amazement of every body, 

&quot; Stand by to in all studding-sails, and to ware to the 
eastward. Be lively, men, be lively ! The eternal Foam, as 
I am a miserable sinner !&quot; 

Paul laid a hand on the arm of Captain Truck, and 
stopped him, as the other was about to spring towards the 
forecastle, with a view to aid and encourage his people. 

&quot; You forget that we have neither spars nor sails suited 
to a chase,&quot; said the young man. &quot; If we haul off to sea 
ward on any tack we can try, the corvette will be too much 
for us now, and excuse me if I say that a different course 
will be advisable.&quot; 

The captain had learned to respect the opinion of Paul, 
and he took the interference kindly. 

&quot; What choice remains, but to run down into the very 
jaws of the lion,&quot; he asked, &quot; or to wear round, and stand 
to the eastward ?&quot; 

&quot; We have two alternatives. We may pass unnoticed, 
the ship being so much altered ; or we may haul up on the 
tack we are on, and get into shallow water.&quot; 

&quot; He draws as little as this ship, sir, and would follow. 
There is no port short of Egg Harbour, and into that I 
should be bashful about entering with a vessel of this size ; 
whereas, by running to the eastward, and doubling Mon- 
tauk, wiich would owe us shelter on account of our name, 
37 


434 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

I might get into the Sound, or New London, at need, and 
then claim the sweepstakes, as having won the race.&quot; 

&quot; This would be impossible, Captain Truck, allow me to 
say. Dead before the wind, we cannot escape, for the land 
would fetch us up in a couple of hours ; to enter by Sandy 
Hook, if known, is impossible, on account of the corvette, 
and, in a chase of a hundred and twenty miles, we should 
be certain to be overtaken.&quot; 

&quot; I fear you are right, my dear sir, I fear you are right. 
The studding-sails are now in, and I will haul up for the 
highlands, and anchor under them, should it be necessary. 
We can then give this fellow Vattel in large quantities, for 
I hardly think he will venture to seize us while we have an 
anchor fast to good American ground.&quot; 

&quot; How near dare you stand to the shore ?&quot; 

&quot; Within a mile ahead of us ; but to enter the Hook, the 
bar must be crossed a league or two off.&quot; 

&quot; The latter is unlucky ; but, by all means, get the ves 
sel in with the land ; so near as to leave no doubt as to our 
being in American waters.&quot; 

&quot; We ll try him, sir, we ll try him. After having escaped 
the Arabs, the deuce is in it, if we cannot weather upon 
John Bull ! I beg your pardon, Mr. Sharp ; but this is a 
question that must be settled by some of the niceties of the 
great authorities.&quot; 

The yards were now braced forward, and the ship was 
brought to the wind, so as to head in a little to the north 
ward of the bathing-houses at Long Branch. But for this 
sudden change of course, the Montauk would have run 
down dead upon the corvette, and possibly might have 
passed her undetected, owing to the change made in her 
appearance by the spars of the Dane. So long as she con 
tinued &quot; bows on,&quot; standing towards them, not a soul on 
board the Foam suspected her real character, though, now 
that she acted so strangely, and offered her broadside to 
view, the truth became known in an instant. The main- 
yard of the corvette was swung, and her sails were filled 
on the same course as that on which the packet was steer 
ing. The two vessels were about ten miles from the land, 
the Foam a little ahead, but fully a league to leeward, 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 435 

The latter, however, soon tacked and stood in-shore. This 
brought the vessels nearly abreast of each other, the cor 
vette a mile or more, dead to leeward, and distant now some 
six miles from the coast. The great superiority of the cor 
vette s sailing was soon apparent to all on board both ves 
sels, for she apparently went two feet to the packet s one. 

The history of this meeting, so unexpected to Captain 
Truck, was very simple. When the gale had abated, the 
corvette, which had received no damage, hauled up along 
the African coast, keeping as near as possible to the sup 
posed track of the packet, and failing to fall in with her 
chase, she had filled away for New York. On making the 
Hook she took a pilot, and inquired if the Montauk had 
arrived. From the pilot she learned that the vessel of 
which she was in quest had not yet made its appearance, 
and she sent an officer up to the town to communicate with 
the British Consul. On the return of this officer, the cor 
vette stood away from the land, and commenced cruising 
in the offing. For a week she had now been thus occupied, 
it being her practice to run close in, in the morning, and to 
remain hovering about the bar until near night, when she 
made sail for an offing. When first seen from the Montauk, 
she had been lying-to, to take in stores sent from the town, 
and to communicate with a news-boat. 

The passengers of the Montauk had just finished their 
breakfast, when the mate reported that the ship was fast 
shoaling her water, and that it would be necessary to alter 
the course in a few minutes, or to anchor. On repairing to 
the deck, Captain Truck and his companions perceived the 
land less than a mile ahead of them, and the corvette about 
naif that distance to the leeward, and nearly abeam. 

&quot; That is a bold fellow,&quot; exclaimed the captain, &quot; or he 
has got a Sandy Hook pilot on board him.&quot; 

&quot; Most probably the latter,&quot; said Paul : &quot; he would scarcely 
be here on this duty, and neglect so simple a precaution.&quot; 

&quot;I think this would satisfy Mr. Vattel, sir,&quot; returned Cap 
tain Truck, as the man in the chains sung out, and a half 
three ! &quot; Hard up with the helm, and lay the yards square, 
Mr. Leach.&quot; 

&quot;Now we shall soon know the virtue of Vattel,&quot; said 


436 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

John Effingham, &quot; as ten minutes will suffice to raise the 
question very fairly.&quot; 

The Foam put her helm down, and tacked beautifully to 
the south-east. As soon as the Montauk, which vessel was 
now running along shore, keeping in about four fathoms 
water, the sea being as smooth as a pond, was a-beam, the 
corvette wore round, and began to close with her chase, 
keeping on her eastern, or outer board. 

&quot; Were we an enemy, and a match for that sloop,&quot; said 
Paul, &quot; this smooth water and yard-arm attitude would make 
quick work.&quot; 

&quot; Her captain is in the gangway, taking our measure,&quot; 
observed Mr. Truck : &quot; here is the glass ; I wish you to 
examine his face, and tell me if you think him a man with 
whom the law of nations will avail anything. See the 
anchor clear, Mr. Leach, for I m determined to bring up all 
standing, if the gentleman intends to renew the old tricks of 
John Bull on our coast. What do you make of him, Mr. 
Blunt?&quot; 

Paul did not answer, but laying down the glass, he paced 
the deck rapidly with the manner of one much disturbed. 
All observed this sudden change, though no one presumed 
to comment on it. In the mean time the sloop-of-war came 
up fast, and in a few minutes her larboard fore-yard-arm 
was within twenty feet of the starboard main-yard-arm of 
the Montauk, the two vessels running on parallel lines. The 
corvette now hauled up her fore-course, and let her top 
gallant sails settle on the caps, though a dead silence reigned 
in her. 

&quot; Give me the trumpet,&quot; said Captain Truck, stepping to 
the rail ; &quot; the gentleman is about to give us a piece of his 
mind.&quot; 

The English captain, who was easily known by his two 
epaulettes, also held a trumpet ; but neither of the two com 
manders used his instrument, the distance being sufficiently 
near for the natural voice. 

&quot; I believe, sir,&quot; commenced the man-of-war s-man, &quot; that 
I have the pleasure to see Captain Truck, of the Montauk, 
London packet ?&quot; 

&quot; Ay, ay ; I ll warrant you he has my name alongside of 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 437 

John Doe and Richard Roe,&quot; muttered Mr. Truck, &quot; spel 
as carefully as it could be in a primer. I am Captain 
Truck, and this is the Montauk. May I ask the name of 
your vessel, and your own, sir?&quot; 

&quot; This is his Britannic Majesty s ship, the Foam, Captain 
Ducie.&quot; 

&quot; The Honourable Captain Ducie !&quot; exclaimed Mr. Sharp. 
&quot; I thought I recognised the voice : I know him intimately 
veil.&quot; 

&quot; Will he stand Vattel ?&quot; anxiously demanded Mr. Truck. 
Nay, as for that, I must refer you to himself.&quot; 
* You appear to have suffered in the gale,&quot; resumed 
Captain Ducie, whose smile was very visible, as he thus 
addressed them like an old acquaintance. &quot; We fared better 
ourselves, for I believe we did not part a rope-yarn.&quot; 

&quot;The ship pitched every stick out of her,&quot; returned 
Captain Truck, &quot; and has given us the trouble of a new 
outfit.&quot; 

&quot;In which you appear to have succeeded admirably. 
Your spars and sails are a size or two too small ; but every 
thing stands like a church.&quot; 

&quot; Ay, ay, now we have got on our new clothes, we are 
not ashamed to be seen.&quot; 

&quot; May I ask if you have been in port to do all this ?&quot; 
&quot; No, sir ; picked them up along-shore.&quot; 
The Honourable Captain Ducie thought he was quizzed, 
and his manner became a little more cold, though it still 
retained its gentlemanlike tone. 

&quot; I wish much to see you in private, sir, on an affair of 
some magnitude, and I greatly regret it was not in my power 
to speak you the night you left Portsmouth. I am quite 
aware you are in your own waters, and I feel a strong re 
luctance to retain your passengers when so near their port ; 
but I shall feel it as a particular favour if you will permit 
me to repair on board for a few minutes.&quot; 

&quot; With all my heart,&quot; cried Captain Truck : &quot; if you will 
give me room, I will back my main-topsail, but I wish to 
lay my head off shore. This gentleman understands Vattel, 
and we shall have no trouble with him. Keep the anchor 
clear, Mr. Leach, for * fair words butter no parsnips. Still, 
37* 


438 HOMEWARD BOUND* 

he is a gentleman ; and, Saunders, put a bottle of the old 
Madeira on the cabin table.&quot; 

Captain Ducie now left the rigging in which he had stood, 
and the corvette luffed off to the eastward, to give room to 
the packet, where she hove-to with her fore-topsail aback. 
The Montauk followed, taking a position under her lee. A 
quarter-boat was lowered, and in five minutes its oars were 
tossed at the packet s lee-gangway, when the commander of 
the corvette ascended the ship s side, followed by a middle- 
aged man in the dress of a civilian, and a chubby-faced 
midshipman. 

No one could mistake Captain Ducie for anything but a 
gentleman. He was handsome, well-formed, and about five- 
and- twenty. The bow he made to Eve, with whose beauty 
and air he seemed instantly struck, would have become a 
drawing-room ; but he was too much of an officer to permit 
any further attention to escape him until he had paid his 
respects to, and received the compliments of, Captain Truck. 
He then turned to the ladies and Mr. Effingham, and re 
peated his salutations. 

&quot; I fear,&quot; he said, &quot; my duty has made me the unwilling 
instrument of prolonging your passage, for I believe few 
ladies love the ocean sufficiently, easily to forgive hose who 
lengthen its disagreeables.&quot; 

&quot; We are old travellers, and know how to allow for the 
obligations of duty,&quot; Mr. Effingham civilly answered. 

&quot; That they do, sir,&quot; put in Captain Truck ; &quot; and it was 
never my good fortune to have a more agreeable set of pas 
sengers. Mr. Effingham, the Honourable Captain Ducie ; 
the Honourable Captain Ducie, Mr. Effingham ; Mr. John 
Effingham, Mam selle V. A. V.&quot; endeavouring always to 
imitate Eve s pronunciation of the name ; &quot; Mr. Dodge, 
the Honourable Captain Ducie; the Honourable Captain 
Ducie, Mr. Dodge.&quot; 

The Honourable Captain Ducie and all the others, the 
editor of the Active Inquirer excepted, smiled slightly, 
though they respectively bowed and curtseyed ; but Mr. 
Dodge, who conceived himself entitled to be formally in 
troduced to every one he met, and to know all he saw, 
whether introduced or not, stepped forward promptly, and 
shook Mr. Ducie very cordially by the hand. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 439 

Captain Truck now turned in quest of some one else to 
introduce ; Mr. Sharp stood near the capstan, and Paul had 
retired as far aft as the hurricane-house. 

&quot; I am happy to see you in the Montauk,&quot; added Captain 
Truck, insensibly leading the other towards the capstan, 
&quot; and am sorry I had not the satisfaction of meeting you 
in England. The Honourable Captain Ducie, Mr. Sharp , 
Mr. Sharp, the Honourable Captain &quot; 

&quot; George Templemore !&quot; exclaimed the commander of the 
corvette, looking from one to the other. 

&quot; Charles Ducie !&quot; exclaimed the soi-disant Mr. Sharp. 

&quot; Here then is an end of part of my hopes, and we have 
been on a wrong scent the whole time.&quot; 

&quot; Perhaps not, Ducie : explain yourself.&quot; 

&quot; You must have perceived my endeavours to speak you, 
from the moment you sailed ?&quot; 

&quot; To speak us !&quot; cried Captain Truck. &quot; Yes, sir, we 
did observe your endeavours to speak ws.&quot; 

&quot; It was because I was given to understand that one call 
ing himself Sir George Templemore, an impostor, however, 
had taken passage in this ship ; and here I find that we 
have been misled, by the real Sir George Templemore s 
having chosen to come this way instead of coming by the 
Liverpool ship. So much for your confounded fashionable 
caprices, Templemore, which never lets you know in the 
morning whether you are to shoot yourself or to get mar 
ried before night.&quot; 

&quot; And is this gentleman Sir George Templemore ?&quot; pith 
ily demanded Captain Truck. 

&quot; For that I can vouch, on the knowledge of my whole 
life.&quot; 

&quot; And we know this to be true, and have known it since 
the day we sailed,&quot; observed Mr. Effingham. 

Captain Truck was accustomed to passengers under false 
names, but never before had he been so completely mysti 
fied. 

&quot; And pray, sir,&quot; he inquired of the baronet, &quot; are you a 
member of Parliament ?&quot; 

&quot; I have that honour.&quot; 

&quot; And Templemore Hall is your residence, and you have 
come out to look at the Canadas ?&quot; 


440 HOMEWARD BOUND* 

&quot; I am the owner of Templemore Hall, and hope to look 
at the Canadas before I return.&quot; 

&quot; And,&quot; turning to Captain Ducie, &quot; you sailed in quest 
of another Sir George Templemore a false one ?&quot; 

&quot; That is a part of my errand,&quot; returned Captain Ducie, 
smiling.&quot; 

&quot;Nothing else? you are certain, sir, that this is the 
whole of your errand 1&quot; 

&quot; I confess to another motive,&quot; rejoined the other, scarce 
knowing how to take Captain Truck s question ; &quot; but this 
one will suffice for the present, I hope.&quot; 

&quot; This business requires frankness. I mean nothing dis 
respectful ; but I am in American waters, and should be 
sorry, after all, to be obliged to throw myself on Vattel.&quot; 

&quot; Let me act as mediator,&quot; interrupted Sir George Tem 
plemore. &quot; Some one has been a defaulter, Ducie ; is it 
not so?&quot; 

&quot; This is the simple truth ; an unfortunate, but silly 
young man, of the name of Sandon. He was intrusted 
with a large sum of the public money, and has absconded 
with quite forty thousand pounds.&quot; 

&quot; And this person, you fancy, did me the honour to travel 
under my name ?&quot; 

&quot; Of that we are certain. Mr. Green here,&quot; motioning 
to the civilian, &quot; comes from the same office, and traced the 
delinquent, under your name, some distance on the Ports 
mouth road. When we heard that a Sir George Temple- 
more had actually embarked in the Montauk, the admiral 
made no scruple in sending me after the packet. This has 
been an unlucky mistake for me, as it would have been a 
feather in the cap of so young a commander to catch the 
rogue.&quot; 

&quot; You may choose your feather, sir,&quot; returned Captain 
Truck, &quot; for you will have a right to wear it. The unfor 
tunate young man you seek is, out of question, in this 
ship.&quot; 

Captain Truck now explained that there was a person 
below who had been known to him as Sir George Temple- 
more, and who, doubtless, was the unhappy delinquent 
sought. But Captain Ducie did not betray the attention or 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 441 

satisfaction that one would have expected from this infor* 
mation, his eye being riveted on Paul, who stood beneath 
the hurricane-house. When the latter saw that he attracted 
attention he advanced slowly, even reluctantly, upon the 
quarter-deck. The meeting between these two gentlemen 
was embarrassed, though each maintained his self-posses 
sion. 

&quot; Mr. Powis, I believe ?&quot; said the officer bowing haughtily 

&quot; Captain Ducie, if I am not mistaken T returned tho 
other, lifting his hat steadily, though his face became 
flushed. 

The manner of the two, however, was but little noticed 
at the moment, though all heard the words. Captain Truck 
drew a long &quot; whe e e w !&quot; for this was rather more 
than even he was accustomed to, in the way of masquerades. 
His eye was on the two gentlemen as they walked aft to 
gether, and alone, when he felt a touch upon his arm. It 
was the little hand of Eve, between whom and the old sea 
man there existed a good deal of trifling, blended with the 
most entire good-will. The young lady laughed with her 
sweet eyes, shook her fair curls, and said mockingly, 

&quot; Mr. Sharp, Mr. Blunt ; Mr. Blunt, Mr. Sharp !&quot; 

&quot; And were you in the secret all this time, my dear young 
lady ?&quot; 

&quot; Every minute of it ; from the buoys of Portsmouth to 
this very spot.&quot; 

&quot; I shall be obliged to introduce my passengers all over 
again !&quot; 

&quot; Certainly ; and I would recommend that each should 
show a certificate of baptism, or a passport, before you 
announce his or her name.&quot; 

&quot; You are, at least, the beautiful Miss Effingham, my dear 
young lady ?&quot; 

&quot; I ll not vouch for that, even,&quot; said Eve, blushing and 
laughing. 

&quot; That is Mr. John Effingham, I hope !&quot; 

&quot; For that I can vouch. There are not two cousin Jacks 
on earth.&quot; 

&quot; I wish I knew what the other business of this gentle 
man is 1 He seems amicably disposed, except as regards 


442 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

Mr. Blunt. They looked coldly and suspiciously at each 
other.&quot; 

Eve thought so too, and she lost all her desire for 
pleasantry. Just at this moment Captain Ducie quitted his 
companion, both touching their hats distantly, and returned 
to the group he had so unceremoniously left a few minutes 
before. 

&quot; I believe, Captain Truck, you now know my errand,&quot; 
he said, &quot;and can say whether you will consent to my 
examining the person whom you have mentioned ?&quot; 

&quot; I know one of your errands, sir ; you spoke of having 
two.&quot; 

&quot; Both will find their completion in this ship, with your 
permission.&quot; 

&quot; Permission ! That sounds well, at least, my dear young 
lady. Permit me to inquire, Captain Ducie, has either of 
your errands the flavour of tobacco about it ?&quot; 

The young man looked surprised, and he began to sus 
pect another mystification. 

&quot; The question is so singular that it is not very intel 
ligible.&quot; 

&quot; I wish to know, Captain Ducie, if you have anything 
to say to this ship in the way of smuggling ?&quot; 

&quot; Certainly not. I am not a custom-house officer, sir, 
nor on the revenue duty ; and I had supposed this vessel a 
regular packet, whose interest is too plain to enter into 
such a pursuit.&quot; 

&quot; You have supposed nothing but the truth, sir ; though 
we cannot always answer for the honesty or discretion of 
our people. A single pound of tobacco might forfeit this 
noble ship ; and, observing the perseverance with which 
you have chased me, I was afraid all was not right with 
the excise.&quot; 

&quot; You have had a needless alarm, then, for my two 
objects in coming to America are completely answered by 
meeting with Mr. Powis and the Mr. Sandon, who, I have 
been given to understand, is in his state-room below.&quot; 
The party looked at each other, but nothing was said. 
&quot; Such being the facts, Captain Ducie, I beg to offer you 
every facility so far as the hospitality of my ship is con- 
cerned.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 443 

**You will permit us to have an interview with Mr. 
Sandon?&quot; 

&quot; Beyond a doubt. I see, sir, you have read Vattel, and 
understand the rights of neutrals, or of independent nations. 
As this interview most probably will be interesting, you 
may desire to have it held in private, and a state-room will 
be too small for the purpose. My dear young lady, will 
you have the complaisance to lend us your cabin for half 
an hour?&quot; 

Eve bowed assent, and Captain Truck then invited the 
two Englishmen below. 

&quot; My presence at this interview is of little moment, 
observed Captain Ducie; &quot;Mr. Green is master of the 
whole affair, and I have a matter of importance to arrange 
with Mr. Powis. If one or two of you gentlemen will have 
the kindess to be present, and witnesses of what passes be 
tween Mr. Sandon and Mr. Green, it would be a great 
favour. Templemore, I may claim this of you ?&quot; 

&quot; With all my heart, though it is an unpleasant office to 
see guilt exposed. Should I presume too much by asking 
Mr. John Effingham to be of our party ?&quot; 

&quot; I was about to make the same request,&quot; put in the 
captain. &quot; We shall then be two Englishmen and two 
Yankees, if Mr. John Effingham will allow me so to style 
him?&quot; 

&quot; Until we get within the Hook, Captain Truck, I am a 
Yankee; once en the country, I belong to the Middle 
States, if you will allow me the favour to choose.&quot; 

The last speaker was stopped by a nudge from Captain 
Truck, who seized an opportunity to whisper, 

&quot; Make no such distinction between outside and inside, I 
beg of you, my dear sir. I hold that the ship is, at this 
identical moment, in the United States of America in a 
positive sense, as well as by a legal fiction ; and I think 
Vattel will bear me out in it.&quot; 

&quot; Let it pass for that, then. I will be present at your 
interview with the fugitive. If the case is not clear against 
him, he shall be protected.&quot; 

Things were now soon arranged ; it being decided that 
Mr. Green, who belonged to one of the English offices, ac 
companied by the gentlemen just named, should descend to 


444 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

the cabin of Miss Effingham, in order to receive the deJin- 
quent ; while Captain Ducie should have his interview with 
Paul Powis in the state-room of the latter. 

The first party went below immediately ; but Captain 
Ducie remained on deck a minute or two to give an order 
to the midshipman of his boat, who immediately quitted the 
Montauk, and pulled to the corvette. During this brief 
delay Paul approached the ladies, to whom he spoke with a 
forced indifference, though it was not possible to avoid 
seeing his concern. 

His servant, too, was observed watching his movements 
with great interest; and when the two gentlemen went 
below in company, the man shrugged his shoulders, and 
actually held up his hands, as one is wont to do at the oc 
currence of any surprising or distressing circumstance. 


CHAPTER XXXIII. 


Norfolk, for thee remains a heavy doom, 
Which I with some unwillingness pronounce. 

SHAKSPEARB. 


THE history of the unfortunate young man, who, aftei 
escaping all the hazards and adventures of the passage, 
was now so unexpectedly overtaken as he was about to 
reach what he fancied an asylum, was no more than one 
of those common-place tissue of events that lead, through 
vanity and weakness, to crime. His father had held an 
office under the British government. Marrying late, and 
leaving a son and daughter just issuing into life at the time 
of his decease, the situation he had himself filled had been 
given to the first, out of respect to the unwearied toil of a 
faithful servant. 

The young man was one of those who, without princi 
ples or high motives, live only for vanity. Of prominent 
vices he had none, for there were no salient points in his 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 445 

character on which to hang any quality of sufficient bold 
ness to encourage crime of that nature. Perhaps he owed 
his ruin to the circumstance that he had a tolerable per 
son, and was six feet high, as much as to any one other 
thing. His father had been a short, solid, square-built 
little man, whose ambition never towered above his stature, 
and who, having entered fairly on the path of industry and 
integrity early in life, had sedulously persevered in it to the 
end. Not so with the son. He read so much about aris 
tocratic stature, aristocratic ears, aristocratic hands, aris 
tocratic feet, and aristocratic air, that he was delighted to 
find that in all these high qualities he was not easily to be 
distinguished from most of the young men of rank he oc 
casionally saw riding in the parks, or met in the streets ; 
and, though he very well knew he was not a lord, he began 
to fancy it a happiness to be thought one by strangers, for 
an hour or two in a week. 

His passion for trifles and toys was inherent, and it had 
been increased by reading two or three caricatures of fash 
ionable men in the novels of the day, until his happiness 
was chiefly centered in its indulgence. This was an expen 
sive foible; and its gratification ere long exhausted his 
legitimate means. One or two trifling and undetected 
peculations favoured his folly, until a large sum happening 
to lie at his sole mercy for a week or two, he made such 
an inroad on it as compelled a flight. Having made up his 
mind to quit England, he thought it would be as easy to 
escape with forty thousand pounds as with the few hun 
dreds he had already appropriated to himself. This capital 
mistake was the cause of his destruction ; for the magnitude 
of the sum induced the government to take unusual steps 
to recover it, and was the true cause of its having des 
patched the cruiser in chase of the Montauk. 

The Mr. Green who had been sent to identify the fugi 
tive, was a cold, methodical man, every way resembling 
the [delinquent s father, whose office-companion he had 
been, and in whose track of undeviating attention to busi 
ness and negative honesty he had faithfully followed. He 
felt the peculation, or robbery, for it scarce deserved ^ 
milder term, to be a reproach on the corps to which he be- 
38 


446 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

longed, besides leaving a stigma on the name of one to 
whom he had himself looked up as to a model for his own 
imitation and government* It will readily be supposed, 
therefore, that this person was not prepared to meet the 
delinquent in a very forgiving mood. 

&quot; Saunders,&quot; said Captain Truck in the stern tone with 
which he often hailed a-top, and which implied that instant 
obedience was a condition of his forbearance, &quot; go to the 
state-room of the person who has called himself Sir George 
Templemore give him my compliments be very particu 
lar, Mr. Saunders and say Captain Truck s compliments, 
and then tell him I expect the honour of his company in 
this cabin the honour of his company, remember, in this 
cabin. If that don t bring him out of his state-room, I ll 
contrive something that shall.&quot; 

The steward turned up the white of his eyes, shrugged 
his shoulders, and proceeded forthwith on the errand. He 
found time, however, to stop in the pantry, and to inform 
Toast that their suspicions were at least in part true. 

&quot; This elucidates the circumstance of his having no at 
tendant with him, like other gentlemen on board, and a wa- 
riety of other incidents, that much needed dewelopement. 
Mr. Blunt, I do collect from a few hints on deck, turns out 
to be a Mr. Powis, a much genteeler name ; and as they 
spoke to some one in the ladies cabin as Sir George, I 
should not be overcome with astonishment should Mr. Sharp 
actually eventuate as the real baronite.&quot; 

There was time for no more, and Saunders proceeded to 
summon the delinquent. 

&quot; This is the most unpleasant part of the duty of a packet- 
master between England and America,&quot; continued Captain 
Truck, as soon as Saunders was out of sight. &quot; Scarce a 
ship sails that it has not some runaway or other, either in 
the steerage or in the cabins, and we are often called on to 
aid the civil authorities on both sides of the water.&quot; 

&quot; America seems to be a favourite country with our En 
glish rogues,&quot; observed the office-man, drily. &quot; This is the 
third that has gone from our own department within as 
many years.&quot; 

&quot; Your department appears to be fruitful of sach charac- 


HOMEWARD BOUND, 447 

ters, sir,&quot; returned Captain Truck, pretty much in the spirit 
in which the first remark had been given. 

Mr. Green was as thorough-going an Englishman as any 
of his class in the island. Methodical, plodding, indus 
trious, and regular in all his habits, he was honest by rule, 
and had no leisure or inclination for any other opinions than 
those which were obtained with the smallest effort. In con- 
sequence of the limited sphere in which he dwelt, in a 
moral sense at least, he was a mass of the prejudices that 
were most prevalent at the period when he first obtained his 
notions. His hatred of France was unconquerable, for he 
had early learned to consider her as the fast enemy of 
England; and as to America, he deemed her to be the 
general asylum of all the rogues of his own countrythe 
possession of a people who had rebelled against their king 
because the restraints of law were inherently disagreeable 
to them. This opinion he had no more wish to proclaim 
than he felt a desire to go up and down declaring that Satan 
was the father of sin ; but the fact in the one case was just 
as well established in his mind as in the other. If he oc 
casionally betrayed the existence of these sentiments, it was 
as a man coughs ; not because he particularly wishes to 
cough, but because he cannot help it. Finding the subject 
so naturally introduced, therefore, it is no wonder if some 
of his peculiar notions escaped him in the short dialogue 
that followed. 

&quot; We have our share of bad men, I presume, sir, he 
rejoined to the thrust of Captain Truck ; &quot; but the thing 
that has most attracted comment with us, is the fact that 
they all go to America.&quot; 

&quot;And we receive our share of rogues, I presume, sir; 
and it is the subject of animadversion with us that they all 
come from England.&quot; 

Mr. Green did not feel the force of this retort ; but he 
wiped his spectacles as he quietly composed his features into 
a look of dignified gravity. 

&quot; Some of your most considerable men in America, 1 
believe, sir,&quot; he continued, &quot; have been Englishmen, who 
preferred a residence in the colonies to a residence at home.&quot; 

I never heard of them,&quot; returned the captain ; &quot; will 
you have the goodness to name just one 1&quot; 


448 HOMEWARD BOUND* 

&quot; Why, to begin, there was your Washington. 1 have 
often heard my father say that he went to school with him 
in Warwickshire, and that he was thought anything but 
very clever, too, while he lived in England.&quot; 

&quot; You perceive, then, that we made something of him 
when we got him over on this side ; for he turned out in 
the end to be a very decent and respectable sort of person. 
Judging from the language of some of your prints, sir, I 
should suppose that King William enjoyed the reputation 
of being a respectable man in your country ?&quot; 

Although startled to hear his sovereign spoken of in this 
irreverent manner, Mr. Green answered promptly, 

&quot; He is a king, sir, and comports himself as a king.&quot; 

&quot; And all the better, I dare say, for the thrashing he got 
when a youngster, from the Vermont tailor.&quot; 

Now Captain Truck quite as religiously believed in 
this vulgar tale concerning the prince in question, as Mr. 
Green believed that Washington had commenced his career 
as one no better than he should be, or as implicitly as Mr. 
Steadfast Dodge gave credit to the ridiculous history of the 
schoolmaster of Haddonfield ; all three of the legends be 
longing to the same high class of historical truths. 

Sir George Templemore looked with surprise at John 
Effingham, who gravely remarked, 

&quot; Elegant extracts, sir, from the vulgar rumours of two 
great nations. We deal largely in these legends, and you 
are not quite guiltless of them. I dare say, now, if you 
would be frank, that you yourself have not always been 
deaf to the reports against America.&quot; 

&quot; You surely do not imagine that I am so ignorant of the 
career of Washington ?&quot; 

&quot; Of that I fully acquit you ; nor do / exactly suppose 
that your present monarch was flogged by a tailor in Ver 
mont, or that Louis Phillipe kept school in New-Jersey. 
Our position in the world raises us beyond these elegancies ; 
but do you not fancy some hard things of America, mors 
especially concerning her disposition to harbour rogues, ii 
they come with full pockets.&quot; 

The baronet laughed, but he coloured. He wished to be 
liberal, for he well knew that liberality distinguishes the 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 449 

man of the world, and was an indispensable requisite for a 
gentleman ; but it is very hard for an Englishman to mani 
fest true liberality towards the ci-devant colonies, and this 
he felt in the whole of his moral system, notwithstanding 
every effort to the contrary. 

&quot; I will confess that case of Stephenson made an unfa 
vourable impression in England,&quot; he said with some re 
luctance. 

&quot; You mean the absconding member of Parliament,&quot; re 
turned John Effingham, with emphasis on the four las- 
words. &quot; You cannot mean to reproach us with his selec 
tion of a place of refuge ; for he was picked up at sea by 
a foreign ship that was accidentally bound to America.&quot; 

&quot;Certainly not with that circumstance, which, as you 
say, was purely an accident. But was there not something 
extraordinary in his liberation from arrest !&quot; 

&quot; Sir George Templemore, there are few Englishmen with 
whom I would dwell an instant on this subject,&quot; said John 
Effingham grsrvely ; &quot;but you are one of those who have 
taught me to respect you, and I feel a strong regret when 
ever I trace any of these mistaken notions in a man of your 
really generous disposition. A moment s reflection will show 
you that no civilized society could exist with the disposition 
you hint at ; and as for the particular case you have men 
tioned, the man did not bring money of any moment with 
him, and was liberated from arrest on a principle common 
to all law, where law is stronger than political power, and 
which principle we derive directly from Great Britain 
Depend on it, so far from there being a desire to receive rich 
rogues in America from other countries, there is a growing 
indisposition to receive emigrants at all ; for their number is 
getting to be inconvenient to the native population.&quot; 

&quot; Why does not America pass reciprocal laws with us 
then, for the mutual delivery of criminals.&quot; 

&quot; One insuperable objection to such a reciprocity arises 
from the nature of our government, as a confederation, since 
there is no identity in our own criminal jurisprudence : but 
a chief reason is the exceedingly artificial condition of your 
society, which is the very opposite of our own, and indis 
poses the American to visit trifling crimes with so heavy 
38* 


450 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

punishments. The American, who has a voice in this mat 
ter, you will remember, is not prepared to hang a half- 
starved wretch for a theft, or to send a man to Botany Bay 
for poaching. The facility with which men obtain a liveli 
hood in America has hitherto converted most rogues into 
comparatively honest men when they get there ; though J 
think the day is near, now your own police is so much im 
proved, when we shall find it necessary in self-defence to 
change our policy. The common language, as I am told, 
induces many knaves, who now find England too hot to hold 
them, to migrate to America.&quot; 

&quot; Captain Ducie is anxious to know whether Mr. Truck 
will quietly permit this criminal to be transferred to the 
Foam.&quot; 

&quot; I do not think he will permit it at all without being 
overpowered, if the request be urged in any manner as a 
right. In that case, he will very properly think that the 
maintenance of his national character is of more import 
ance than the escape of a dozen rogues. You may put a 
harsh construction on his course ; but / shall think him right 
in resisting an unjust and an illegal invasion of his rights. 
I had thought Captain Ducie, however, more peaceably dis 
posed from what has passed.&quot; 

&quot; Perhaps I have expressed myself too strongly. I know 
he would wish to take back the criminal ; but I scarce think 
that he meditates more than persuasion. Ducie is a fine 
fellow, and every way a gentleman.&quot; 

&quot; He appears to have found an acquaintance in our young 
friend, Powis.&quot; 

&quot; The meeting between these two gentlemen has surprised 
me, for it can scarcely be termed amicable : and yet it 
seems to occupy more of Ducie s thoughts just now than 
the affair of the runaway.&quot; 

Both now became silent and thoughtful, for John Effing- 
ham had too many unpleasant suspicions to wish to speak, 
and the baronet was too generous to suggest a doubt con 
cerning one whom he felt to be his rival, and whom, in 
truth, he had begun sincerely to respect, as well as to like. 
In the mean time, a discussion, which had gradually been 
growing more dogged and sullen on the part of Mr. Green 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 451 

and more biting and caustic on that of Captain Truck, was 
suddenly terminated by the reluctant and tardy appearance 
of Mr. oandon. 

Guilt, that powerful vindicator of the justice of Provi 
dence, as it proves the existence of the inward monitor, con- 
science, was painfully impressed on a countenance that, in 
general, expressed little beyond a vacant vanity. Although 
of a tall and athletic person, his limbs trembled in a way to 
refuse to support him, and when he saw the well-known face 
of Mr. Green, the unhappy young man sank into a seat 
from a real inability to stand. The other regarded him 
sternly through his spectacles, for more than a minute. 

&quot; This is a melancholy picture, Henry Sandon !&quot; he at 
length said. &quot; I am, at least, glad that you do not affect to 
brazen out your crime, but that you show a proper sense of 
its enormity. What would your upright and pains-taking 
father have said, had he lived to see his only son in this 
situation ?&quot; 

&quot; He is dead !&quot; returned the young man, hoarsely. &quot; He 
is dead, and never can know any thing about it.&quot; 

The unhappy delinquent experienced a sense of frightful 
pleasure as he uttered these words. 

&quot; It is true, he is dead ; but there are others to suffer by 
your misconduct. Your innocent sister is living, and feels 
all your disgrace.&quot; 

&quot; She will marry Jones, and forget it all. I gave her a 
thousand pounds, and she is married before this.&quot; 

&quot; In that you are mistaken. She has returned the money, 
for she is, indeed, John Sandon s daughter, and Mr. Jones 
refuses to marry the sister of a thief.&quot; 

The delinquent was vain and unreflecting, rather than 
selfish, and he had a natural attachment to his sister, the 
only other child of his parents. The blow, therefore, fell on 
his conscience with double force, coming from this quarter. 

&quot; Julia can compel him to marry her,&quot; said the startled 
brother ; &quot; he is bound by a solemn engagement, and the law 
will protect her.&quot; 

&quot; No law can make a man marry against his will, and 
your poor unfortunate sister is too tender of your feelings, 
whatever you may have been of hers, to wish to give Mi. 


452 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

Jones an opportunity of defending himself by exposing vour 
crime. But this is wasting words, Mr. Sandon, for I am 
wanted in the office, where I have left things m the hands of 
an inexperienced substitute. Of course you are not prepaid 
to defend an act, that your conscience mu?t tell you is inei 
cusable.&quot; 

&quot; I am afraid, Mr. Green, I have been a little thoughtless 
or, perhaps, it would be better to say, unlucky.&quot; 

Mr. Sandon had faBen into the general and delusive mis 
take of those who err, in supposing himself unfortunate 
rather than criminal. With an ingenuity, that, exercised IP 
a better cause, would have made him a respectable man, he 
had been endeavouring to excuse his crime to himself, on va 
rious pleas of necessity, and he had even got at last to justify 
his act, by fancying that some trifling wrong he had received, 
or which he fancied he had received in the settlement of his 
own private account, in some measure excused his fraud, al 
though his own denied claim amounted merely to the sum of 
twenty pounds, and that which he had taken was so large. 
It was under the influence of such feelings that he made the 
answer just given. 

&quot;A little thoughtless! unlucky! And is this the way 
Henry Sandon, that you name a crime that might almost 
raise your upright father from his grave 1 But I will speak 
no more of feelings that you do not seem to understand. 
You confess to have taken forty thousand pounds of the pub 
lic money, to which you have no right or claim 1&quot; 

&quot; I certainly have in my hands some money, which I do 
not deny belongs to government.&quot; 

&quot; It is well ; and here is my authority to receive it from 
you. Gentlemen, will you have the kindness to see that my 
powers are regular and authentic 7&quot; 

John Effingham and others cast their eyes over the pa 
pers, which seemed to be in rule, and they said as much. 

&quot; Now, sir,&quot; resumed Mr. Green, &quot; in the first place, I de 
mand the bills you received in London for this money, and 
your regular endorsement in my favour.&quot; 

The culprit appeared to have made up his mind to this 
demand, and, with the same recklessness with which he had 
appropriated the money to his own use, he was now ready 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 453 

to restore it, without proposing a condition for his own safety 
The bills were in his pocket, and seating himself at a table, 
he made the required endorsement, and handed them to Mr 
Green. 

&quot;Here are bills for thirty-eight thousand pounds,&quot; said 
that methodical person, after he had examined the drafts, 
one by one, and counted their amount; &quot;and you are 
known to have taken forty thousand. I demand the re 
mainder.&quot; 

&quot; Would you leave me in a strange country penniless ?&quot; 
exclaimed the culprit, hi a tone of reproach. 

&quot; Strange country ! penniless !&quot; repeated Mr. Green, look 
ing over his spectacles, first at Mr. Truck, and then at Mr. 
Sandon. &quot; That to which you have no claim must be re 
stored, though it strip you to the skin. Every pound you 
have belongs to the public, and to no one else.&quot; 

&quot; Your pardon, Mr. Green, and green enough you are, if 
you lay down that doctrine,&quot; interrupted Captain Truck, &quot; in 
which neither Vattel, nor the revised statutes will bear you 
out. A passenger cannot remove his effects from a ship, 
until his passage be first paid.&quot; 

&quot; That, sir, I dispute, in a question affecting the king s 
revenues. The claims of government precede all others, 
and the money that has once belonged to the crown, and 
which has not been regularly paid away by the crown, is the 
crown s still.&quot; 

&quot; Crowns and coronations ! Perhaps, Master Green, 
you think you are in Somerset House at this present speak- 
ing?&quot; 

Now Mr. Green was so completely a star of a confined 
orbit, that his ideas seldom described a tangent to their or 
dinary revolutions. He was so much accustomed to hear 
of England ruling colonies, the East and the West, Canada, 
the Cape, and New South Wales, that it was not an easy 
matter for him to conceive himself to be without the influ 
ence of the British laws. Had he quitted home with the 
intention to emigrate, or even to travel, it is probable that his 
mind would have kept a more equal pace with his body, but 
summoned in haste from his desk, and with the office spec- 
tacles on his nose, it is not so much a matter of wonder 


454 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

that he hardly realized the truths of his present situation. The 
man-of-war, in which everything was His Majesty s, sus 
tained this feeling, and it was too sudden a change to expect 
such a man to abandon all his most cherished notions at a 
moment s warning. The irreverent exclamation of Captain 
Truck shocked him, and he did not fail to show as much by 
the disgust pictured in his countenance. 

&quot; I am in one of His Majesty s packets, sir, I presume, 
where, you will permit me to say, a greater deference for 
the high ceremonies of the kingdom ought to be found.&quot; 

&quot; This would make even old Joe Bunk laugh. You are 
hi a New York liner, sir, over which no majesty has any 
control, but their majesties John Griswold and Co. Why, 
my good sir, the sea has unsettled your brain !&quot; 

Now, Mr. Green did know that the United States of 
America had obtained their independence, but the whole 
proceeding was so mixed up with rebellion, and a French 
alliance, in his mind, that he always doubted whether the 
new republic had a legal existence at all, and he had been 
heard to express his surprise that the twelve judges had not 
long since decided this state of things to be unconstitutional, 
and overturned the American government by mandamus. 
His disgust increased, accordingly, as Captain Truck s irre 
verence manifested itself in stronger terms, and there was 
great danger that the harmony, which had hitherto prevailed 
between the parties, would be brought to a violent termi 
nation. 

&quot; The respect for the crown in a truly loyal subject, sir,&quot; 
Mr. Green returned sharply, &quot; is not to be unsettled by the 
sea ; not in my case, at least, whatever it might have been 
in your own.&quot; 

&quot; My own ! why, the devil, sir, do you take me for a 
subject ?&quot; 

&quot; A truant one, I fear, though you may have been born 
in London itself.&quot; 

&quot; Why, my dear sir,&quot; said Captain Truck, taking the 
other by a button, as if he pitied his hallucination, &quot; you 
don t breed such men in London. I came from the river, 
which never had a subject in it, or any other majesty &amp;gt; than 
that of the Saybrook Platform. I begin to understand you, 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 455 

at last : you are one of those well-meaning men who fancy 
the earth but a casing to the island of Great Britain. Well, 
I suppose it is more the fault of your education than of your 
nature, and one must overlook the mistake. May I ask 
what is your farther wish, in reference to this unhappy young 
man?&quot; 

&quot; He must refund every pound of the public money that 
remains in his possession.&quot; 

&quot; That is just, and I say yea.&quot; 

&quot; And all who have received from him any portion of this 
money, under whatever pretences, must restore it to the 
crown.&quot; 

&quot; My good sir, you can have no notion of the quantity oi 
champaigne and other good things this unfortunate young 
man has consumed in this ship. Although but a sham ba 
ronet, he has fared like a real lord ; and you cannot have 
the heart to exact from the owners the keeping of your 
rogues.&quot; 

&quot; Government makes no distinction, sir, and always 
claims its own.&quot; 

&quot; Nay, Mr. Green,&quot; interrupted Sir George Templemore, 
&quot; I much question if government would assert a right to 
money that a peculator or a defaulter fairly spends, even in 
England ; much less does it seem to me it can pretend to 
the few pounds that Captain Truck has lawfully earned.&quot; 

&quot; The money has not been lawfully earned, sir. It is 
contrary to law to assist a felon to quit the kingdom, and I 
am not certain there are no penalties for that act alone ; and 
as for the public money, it can never legally quit the Trea 
sury without the proper office forms.&quot; 

&quot; My dear Sir George,&quot; put in the captain, &quot; leave me to 
settle this with Mr. Green, who, no doubt, is authorized to 
give a receipt in full. What is to be done with the de 
linquent, sir, now that you are in possession of his money ?&quot; 

&quot;Of course he will be carried back in the Foam, and, I 
mourn to be compelled to say, that he must be left in the 
hands of the law.&quot; 

&quot; What, with or without my permission 1 n 

Mr. Green stared, for his mind was precisely one of those 
which would conceive it to be a high act of audacity in a 


456 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

ci-devant colonist to claim the rights of an old country, even 
did he really understand the legality and completeness of the 
separation. 

&quot; He has committed forgery, sir, to conceal his peculation. 
It is an awful crime ; but they that commit it cannot hope 
to escape the consequences.&quot; 

&quot; Miserable impostor ! is this true ?&quot; Captain Truck sternly 
demanded of the trembling culprit. 

&quot;He calls an oversight forgery, sir,&quot; returned the lat 
ter huskily. &quot;1 have done nothing to affect my life or 
liberty.&quot; 

At this moment Captain Ducie, accompanied by Paul 
Powis, entered the cabin, their faces flushed, and their man 
ner to each other a little disturbed, though it was formally 
courteous. At the same instant, Mr. Dodge, who had been 
dying to be present at the secret conference, watched his 
opportunity to slip in also. 

&quot; I am glad you have come, sir,&quot; said Mr. Green, &quot; for 
here may be occasion for the services of his Majesty s offi 
cers. Mr. Sandon has given up these bills, but two thou 
sand pounds remain unaccounted for, and I have traced 
thirty-five, quite clearly, to the master of this ship, who 
has received it in the way of passage-money.&quot; 

&quot; Yes, sir, the fact is as plain as the high-lands of Nave- 
sink from the deck,&quot; drily added Captain Truck. 

&quot; One thousand of this money has been returned by the 
defaulter s sister,&quot; observed Captain Ducie. 

&quot; Very true, sir ; I had forgotten to give him credit for 
that.&quot; 

&quot; The remainder has probably been wasted in those silly 
trifles of which you have told me the unhappy man was so 
fond, and for which he has bartered respectability and peace 
of mind. As for the money paid this ship for the passage, 
it has been fairly earned, nor do I know that government 
has any power to reclaim it.&quot; 

Mr. Green heard this opinion with still greater disgust 
than he had felt towards the language of Captain Truck, 
nor could he very well prevent his feelings escaping him 
in words. 

&quot; We truly live in perilous times,&quot; he muttered, speaking 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 457 

more particularly to John Effingham, out of respect to his 
appearance, &quot; when the scions of the nobility entertain no- 
tions so loose. We have vainly fancied in England that 
the enormities of the French revolution were neutralized 
by Billy Pitt; but, sir, we still live in perilous times, for 
the disease has fairly reached the higher classes. I hear 
that designs are seriously entertained against the wigs of 
the judges and bishops, and the next thing will be the 
throne ! All our venerable institutions are in danger.&quot; 

&quot; I should think the throne might indeed be in danger, 
sir,&quot; returned John Effingham, gravely, &quot; if it reposes on 
wigs.&quot; 

&quot; It is my duty, Captain Truck,&quot; continued Captain Ducie, 
wno was a man so very different from his associate that he 
scarcely seemed to belong to the same species, &quot; to request 
you will deliver to us the person of the culprit, with his 
effects, when we can relieve you and your passengers from 
the pain of witnessing any more of this unpleasant scene.&quot; 

At the sound of the delivery of his person, all the danger 
of his situation rushed forcibly before the imagination of 
the culprit. His face flushed and became pale, and his 
legs refused to support him, though he made a desperate 
effort to rise. 

After an instant of silence, he turned to the commander 
of the corvette, and, in piteous accents, appealed to him for 
mercy. 

&quot; I have been punished severely already,&quot; he continued, 
as his voice returned, &quot; for the savage Arabs robbed me of 
everything I had of any value. These gentlemen know 
that they took my dressing-case, several other curious and 
valuable articles for the toilet, and nearly all my clothes.&quot; 

&quot; This man is scarcely a responsible being,&quot; said John 
Effingham, &quot; for a childish vanity supplies the place of 
principles, self-respect, and duty. With a sister scorned on 
account of his crimes, conviction beyond denial, and a dread 
punishment staring him in the face, his thoughts still run 
on trifles.&quot; 

Captain Ducie gave a look of pity at the miserable young 
man, and, by his countenance, it was plain to see that he 
felt no relish for his duty. Still he felt hirnself bound to 
39 




458 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

urge on Captain Truck a compliance with bis request. The 
master of the packet was a good deal divided by an inhe 
rent dislike of seeming to yield anything to a British naval 
officer, a class of men whom he learned in early life most 
heartily to dislike ; his kind feelings towards this particular 
specimen of the class ; a reluctance to give a man up to a 
probable death, or some other severe punishment ; and a 
distaste to being thought desirous of harbouring a rogue. 
In this dilemma, therefore, he addressed himself to John 
Effingham for counsel. 

&quot; I should be pleased to hear your opinion, sir, on this 
matter,&quot; he said, looking at the gentleman just named, &quot;for 
I own myself to be in a category. Ought we, or not, to 
deliver up the culprit ?&quot; 

&quot; Fiat justitia mat ccelum&quot; answered John Effingham, 
who never fancied any one could be ignorant of the meaning 
of these familiar words. 

&quot; That I believe indeed to be Vattel,&quot; said Captain Truck ; 
&quot; but exceptions alter rules. This young man has some 
claims on us on account of his conduct when in front of the 
Arabs.&quot; 

&quot; He fought for himself, sir, and has the merit of pre 
ferring liberty in a ship to slavery in the desert.&quot; 

&quot; I think with Mr. John Effingham,&quot; observed Mr. Dodge, 
&quot; and can see no redeeming quality in his conduct on that 
occasion. He did what we all did, or, as Mr. John Effing 
ham has so pithily expressed it, he preferred liberty in our 
company to being an Arab s slave.&quot; 

&quot; You will not deliver me up, Captain Truck !&quot; exclaimed 
the delinquent. &quot; They will hang me, if once in their power. 
Oh ! you will not have the heart to let them hang me !&quot; 

Captain Truck was startled at this appeal, but he sternly 
reminded the culprit that it was too late to remember the 
punishment, when the crime was committed. 

&quot; Never fear, Mr. Sandon,&quot; said the office-man with a 
sneer ; &quot; these gentlemen will take you to New York, for 
the sake of the thousand pounds, if they can. A rogue is 
pretty certain of a kind reception in America, I hear.&quot; 

&quot; Then, sir,&quot; exclaimed Captain Truck, &quot; you had better 
go in with us.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 459 

&quot; Mr. Green, Mr. Green, this is indiscreet, to call it by 
110 worse a term,&quot; interposed Captain Ducie, who, while he 
was not free from a good deal of the prejudices of his com 
panion, was infinitely better bred, and more in the habit of 
commanding himself. 

&quot; Mr. John Effingham, you have heard this wanton in 
sult,&quot; continued Captain Truck, suppressing his wrath as 
well as he could : &quot; in what manner ought it to be resented ?&quot; 

&quot; Command the offender to quit your ship instantly,&quot; said 
John Effingham firmly. 

Captain Ducie started, and his face flushed; but disregard 
ing him altogether, Captain Truck walked deliberately up to 
Mr. Green, and ordered him to go into the corvette s boat. 

&quot; I shall allow of neither parley nor delay,&quot; added the 
exasperated old seaman, struggling to appear cool and dig 
nified, though his vocation was little for the latter. &quot; Do 
me the favour, sir, to permit me to see you into your boat, 
sir. Saunders, go on deck, and tell Mr. Leach to have the 
side manned with three side boys, Saunders ; and now I 
ask it as the greatest possible favour, that you will walk on 
deck with me, or or damn me, but I ll drag you there, 
neck and heels !&quot; 

It was too much for Captain Truck to seem calm when 
he was in a towering passion, and the outbreak at the close 
of this speech was accompanied by a gesture with a hand 
which was open, it is true, but from which none of the arts 
of his more polite days could erase the knobs and hue that 
had been acquired in early life. 

&quot; This is strong language, sir, to use to a British officer, 
under the guns of a British cruiser,&quot; exclaimed the com* 
mander of the corvette. 

&quot; And his was strong language to use to a man in hk 
own country and in his own ship. To you, Captain Ducie, 
I have nothing to say, unless it be to say you are welcome. 
But your companion has indulged in a coarse insult on my 
country, and damn me if I submit to it, if I never see St. 
Catherine s Docks again. I had too much of this when a 
young man, to wish to find it repeated while an old one.&quot; 

Captain Ducie bit his lip, and he looked exceedingly 
vexed. Although he had himself blindly imbibed the notion 


460 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

that America would gladly receive the devil himself if he 
came with a full pocket, he was shocked with the coarse 
ness that would throw such an innuendo into the very faces 
of the people of the country. On the other hand, his pride 
as an officer was hurt at the menace of Captain Truck, and 
all the former harmony of the scene was threatened with a 
sudden termination. Captain Ducie had been struck with 
the gentlemanlike appearance of both the Effinghams, to 
say nothing of Eve, the instant his foot touched the deck 
of the Montauk, and he now turned with a manner of 
reproach to John Effingham, and said, 

&quot; Surely, sir, you cannot sustain Mr. Truck in his extra 
ordinary conduct !&quot; 

&quot; You will pardon me if I say I do. The man has been 
permitted to remain longer in the ship than I would have 
suffered.&quot; 

&quot; And, Mr. Powis, what is your opinion ?&quot; 

&quot; I fear,&quot; said Paul, smiling coldly, &quot; that I should have 
knocked him down on the spot.&quot; 

&quot; Templemore, are you, too, of this way of thinking ?&quot; 

&quot; I fear the speech of Mr. Green has been without suffi 
cient thought. On reflection he will recall it.&quot; 

But Mr. Green would sooner part with life than part with 
a prejudice, and he shook his head in the negative in a way 
to show that his mind was made up. 

&quot; This is trifling,&quot; added Captain Truck. &quot; Saunders, 
go on deck, and tell Mr. Leach to send down through the 
skylight a single whip, that we may whip this polite per 
sonage on deck ; and, harkee, Saunders, let there be another 
on the yard, that we may send him into his boat like aji 
anker of gin !&quot; 

&quot; This is proceeding too far,&quot; said Captain Ducie. &quot; Mr 
Green, you will oblige me by retiring ; there can be no sus 
picion cast on a vessel of war for conceding a little to an 
unarmed ship.&quot; 

&quot; A vessel of war should not insult an unarmed ship, 
sir !&quot; rejoined Captain Truck, pithily. 

Captain Ducie again coloured ; but as he had decided on 
his course, he had the prudence to remain silent. In the 
mean time Mr. Green sullenly took his hat and papers, and 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 461 

withdrew into the boat ; though, on his return to London, 
he did not fail to give such a version of the affair as went 
altogether to corroborate all his own, and his friends pre 
vious notions of America ; and, what is equally singular, 
he religiously believed all he had said on the occasion. 

&quot; What is now to be done with this unhappy man ?&quot; in 
quired Captain Ducie when order was a little restored. 

The misunderstanding was an unfortunate affair for the 
culprit. Captain Truck felt a strong reluctance to deliver 
him up to justice after all they had gone through together ; 
but the gentlemanlike conduct of the English commander, 
the consciousness of having triumphed in the late conflict, 
and a deep regard for the law, united on the other hand to 
urge him to yield the unfortunate and weak-minded offender 
to his own authorities. 

&quot; You do not claim a right to take him out of an Ameri 
can ship by violence, if I understand you, Captain Ducie ?&quot; 

&quot; I do not. My instructions are merely to demand him.&quot; 

&quot; That is according to Vattel. By demand you mean, to 
request, to ask for him ?&quot; 

&quot; I mean to request, to ask for him,&quot; returned the Eng 
lishman, smiling. 

&quot; Then take him, of God s name ; and may your laws 
be more merciful to the wretch than he has been to himself, 
or to his kin.&quot; 

Mr. Sandon shrieked, and he threw himself abjectly on 
his knees between the two captains, grasping the legs of 
both. 

&quot; Oh ! hear me ! hear me !&quot; he exclaimed in a tone of 
anguish. &quot;I have given up the money, I will give it all 
up ! all to the last shilling, if you will let me go ! You, 
Captain Truck, by whose side I have fought and toiled, 
you will not have the heart to abandon me to these mur 
derers !&quot; 

&quot; It s d d hard !&quot; muttered the captain, actually wiping 

his eyes ; &quot; but it is what you have drawn upon yourself 
I fear. Get a good lawyer, my poor fellow, as soon as 
you arrive ; and it s an even chance, after all, that you go 
free!&quot; 

&quot; Miserable wretch 1&quot; said Mr. Dodge, confronting the 
39* 


462 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

still kneeling and agonized delinquent, &quot; Wretch ! these are 
the penalties of guilt. You have forged and stolen, acts 
that meet with my most unqualified disapprobation, and you 
are unfit for respectable society. I saw from the very first 
what you truly were, and permitted myself to associate with 
you, merely to detect and expose you, in order that you 
might not bring disgrace on our beloved country. An im 
postor has no chance in America ; and you are fortunate in 
being taken back to your own hemisphere.&quot; 

Mr. Dodge belonged to a tolerably numerous class, that 
is quaintly described as being &quot; law honest ;&quot; that is to say, 
he neither committed murder nor petty larceny. When he 
was guilty of moral slander, he took great care that it should 
not be legal slander ; and, although his whole life was a 
tissue of mean and baneful vices, he was quite innocent of 
all those enormities that usually occupy the attention of a 
panel of twelve men. This, in his eyes, raised him so far 
above less prudent sinners as to give him a right to address 
his quondam associate as has been just related. But the 
agony of the culprit was past receiving an increase from 
this brutal attack ; he merely motioned the coarse-minded 
sycophant and demagogue away, and continued his appeals 
to the two captains for mercy. At this moment Paul Powis 
stepped up to the editor, and in a low but firm voice ordered 
him to quit the cabin. 

&quot; I will pray for you be your slave do all you ask, if 
you will not give me up !&quot; continued the culprit, fairly 
writhing in his agony. &quot; Oh ! Captain Ducie, as an Eng 
lish nobleman, have mercy on me.&quot; 

&quot; I must transfer the duty to subordinates,&quot; said the 
English commander, a tear actually standing in his eye. 
&quot; Will you permit a party of armed marines to take this 
unhappy being from your ship, sir.&quot; 

&quot; Perhaps this will be the best course, as he will yield 
only to a show of force. I see no objection to this, Mr 
John Effmgham ?&quot; 

&quot; None in the world, sir. It is your object to clear your 
ship of a delinquent, and let those among whom he com 
mitted the fault be the agents.&quot; 

Ay ay ! this is what Vattel calls the comity of Da 
dons Captain Ducie, I beg you will issue your orders.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 463 

The English commander had foreseen some difficulty, 
and, in sending away his boat when he came below, he had 
sent for a corporal s guard. These men were now in a 
cutter, near the ship, lying off on their oars, in a rigid re 
spect to the rights of a stranger, however, as Captain 
Truck was glad to see, the whole party having gone on 
deck as soon as the arrangement was settled. At an order 
from their commander the marines boarded the Montauk, 
and proceeded below in quest of their prisoner. 

Mr. Sandon had been left alone in Eve s cabin ; but as 
soon as he found himself at liberty, he hurried into his own 
state-room. Captain Truck went below, while the marines 
were entering the ship ; and, having passed a minute in 
his own room, he stepped across the cabin, to that of the 
culprit. Opening the door without knocking, he found the 
unhappy man in the very act of applying a pistol to his 
head, his own hand being just in time to prevent the catas 
trophe. The despair portrayed in the face of the criminal 
prevented reproach or remonstrance, for Captain Truck 
was a man of few words when it was necessary to act. 
Disarming the intended suicide, he coolly counted out to 
him thirty-five pounds, the money paid for his passage, 
and told him to pocket it. 

&quot; I received this on condition of delivering you safe in 
New York,&quot; he said ; &quot; and as I shall fail in the bargain, 
I think it no more than just to return you the money. It 
may help you on the trial.&quot; 

&quot;Will they hang me?&quot; asked Mr. Sandon hoarsely, 
and with an imbecility like that of an infant. 

The appearance of the marines prevented reply, the pri 
soner was secured, his effects were pointed out, and his 
person was transferred to the boat with the usual military 
promptitude. As soon as this was done the cutter pulled 
away from the packet, and was soon hoisted in again on 
the corvette s deck. That day month the unfortunate vic 
tim of a passion for trifles committed suicide in London, 
just as they were about to transfer him to Newgate ; and 
six months later his unhappy sister died of a broken heart. 


464 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

CHAPTER XXXIY. 


1 We ll attend you there : 
Where, if you bring not Marcius, we ll proceed 
In our first way. 

Coriolanus. 


EVE and Mademoiselle Viefville had been unwilling 
spectators of a portion of the foregoing scene, and Captain 
Ducie felt a desire to apologise for the part he had been 
obliged to act in it. For this purpose he had begged his 
friend the baronet to solicit a more regular introduction 
than that received through Captain Truck. 

&quot; My friend Ducie is solicitous to be introduced, Miss 
Effingham, that he may urge something in his own behalf 
concerning the commotion he has raised among us.&quot; 

A graceful assent brought the young commander for 
ward, and as soon as he was named he made a very suita 
ble expression of his regret to the ladies, who received it 
as a matter of course, favourably. 

&quot; This is a new duty to me, the arrest of criminals, 
added Captain Ducie. 

The word criminals sounded harsh to the ear of Eve, 
and she felt her cheek becoming pale. 

&quot;Much as we regret the cause,&quot; observed the father, 
&quot; we can spare the person you are about to take from us 
without much pain ; for we have known him for an impos 
tor from the moment he appeared. Is there not some mis 
take? That is the third trunk that I have seen passed 
into the boat marked P. P.&quot; 

Captain Ducie smiled, and answered, 

&quot; You will call it a bad pun if I say P. P. see,&quot; pointing 
to Paul, who was coming from the cabin attended by Captain 
Truck. The latter was conversing warmly, gesticulating 
towards the corvette, and squeezing his companion s hand. 

&quot;Am I to understand,&quot; said Mr. Effingham earnestly, 
&quot; that Mr. Powis, too, is to quit us ?&quot; 

&quot;He does me the favour, also,&quot; Captain Ducie s lip 
curled a little at the word favour, &quot; to accompany me to 
England.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 465 

Good breeding and intense feeling caused a profound si- 
ence, until the young man himself approached the party. 
Paul endeavoured to be calm, and he even forced a smile as 
he addressed his friends. 

&quot; Although I escape the honours of a marine guard,&quot; he 
said, and Eve thought he said it bitterly, &quot;I am also to be 
taken out of the ship. Chance has several times thrown me 
into your society, Mr. Effingham Miss Effingham and, 
should the same good fortune ever again occur, I hope I 
may be permitted to address you at once as an old acquain 
tance. 

&quot; We shall always entertain a most grateful recollection 
of your important services, Mr. Powis,&quot; returned the father ; 
&quot; and I shall not cease to wish that the day may soon ar 
rive when I can have the pleasure of receiving you under 
my own roof.&quot; 

Paul now offered to take the hand of Mademoiselle Vief- 
ville, which he kissed gallantly. He did the same with 
Eve s, though she felt him tremble in the attempt. As these 
ladies had lived much in countries in which this graceful 
mode of salutation prevails among intimates, the act passed 
as a matter of course. 

With Sir George Templemore, Paul parted with every 
sign of good-will. The people, to whom he had caused a 
liberal donation to be made, gave him three cheers, for they 
understood his professional merits at least ; and Saunders, 
who had not been forgotten, attended him assiduously to 
the side of the ship. Here Mr. Leach called, &quot; the Foam s 
away!&quot; and Captain Ducie s gig was manned. At the 
gangway Captain Truck again shook Paul cordially by the 
hand, and whispered something in his ear. 

Every thing beingf now ready, the two gentlemen pre 
pared to go into the boat. As Eve watched all that passed 
with an almost breathless anxiety, a little ceremonial that 
now took place caused her much pain. Hitherto the man 
ner of Captain Ducie, as respected his companion, had 
struck her as equivocal. At times it was haughty and dis 
tant, while at others it had appeared more conciliatory and 
kind. All these little changes she had noted with a jealous 
interest, and the slightest appearance of respect or of dis 
respect was remarked, as if it could furnish a clew to the 
mystery of the whole procedure. 


466 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; Your boat is ready, sir,&quot; said Mr. Leach, stepping out 
of the gangway to give way to Paul, who stood nearest to 
the ladder. 

The latter was about to proceed, when he was touched 
lightly on the shoulder by Captain Ducie, who smiled, Eve 
thought haughtily, and intimated a desire to precede him. 
Paul coloured, bowed, and falling back, permitted the En 
glish officer to enter his own boat first. 

&quot; Apparemment ce captaine Anglais est un pen sans fa- 
$on Voild qui est poll!&quot; whispered Mademoiselle Vief- 
ville. 

&quot; These commanders of vessels of war are little kings,&quot; 
quietly observed Mr. Effingham, who had unavoidably no 
ticed the whole procedure. 

The gig was soon clear of the ship, and both the gentle 
men repeated their adieus to those on deck. To reach the 
corvette, to enter her, and to have the gig swinging on her 
quarter occupied but five minutes. 

Both ships now filled away, and the corvette began to 
throw out one sheet of cloth after another until she was 
under a cloud of canvas, again standing to the east 
ward with studding-sails alow and aloft. On the other 
hand, the Montauk laid her yards square, and ran down to 
the Hook. The pilot from the corvette had been sent on 
board the packet, and, the wind standing, by eleven o clock 
the latter had crossed the bar. At this moment the low 
dark stern of the Foam resembled a small black spot on 
the sea sustaining a pyramid of cloud. 

&quot; You were not on deck, John, to take leave of our young 
friend Powis,&quot; said Mr. Effingham, reproachfully. 

&quot; I do not wish to witness a ceremony of this extraordi 
nary nature. And yet it might have been better if I had.&quot; 

&quot; Better, cousin Jack !&quot; 

&quot;Better. Poor Monday committed to my care certain 
papers that, I fancy, are of moment to some one, and theses 
I intrusted to Mr. Powis, with a view to examine them 
together when we should get in. In the hurry of parting, he 
has carried them off.&quot; 

&quot;They may be reclaimed by writing to London,&quot; said 
Mr. Effingham quietly. &quot; Have you his address ?&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 467 

&quot;I asked him for it; but the question appeared to em 
barrass him.&quot; 

&quot; Embarrass, cousin Jack !&quot; 

&quot; Embarrass, Miss Effingham.&quot; 

The subject was now dropped by common consent. A 
few moments of awkward silence succeeded, when the inte 
rest inseparable from a return home, after an absence of 
years, began to resume its influence, and objects on the land 
were noticed. The sudden departure of Paul was not for 
gotten, however ; for it continued the subject of wonder with 
all for weeks, though little more was said on the subject. 

The ship was soon abreast of the Hook, which Eve com 
pared, to the disadvantage of the celebrated American haven, 
with the rocky promontories and picturesque towers of the 
Mediterranean. 

&quot; This portion of our bay, at least, is not very admira 
ble,&quot; she said, &quot; though there is a promise of something 
better above.&quot; 

&quot; Some New- York cockney, who has wandered from the 
crackling heat of his Nott stove, has taken it into his poeti 
cal imagination to liken this bay to that of Naples,&quot; said 
John Effingham ; &quot; and his fellow-citizens greedily swallow 
the absurdity, although there is scarcely a single feature in 
common to give the foolish opinion value.&quot; 

&quot; But the bay above is beautiful !&quot; 

&quot; Barely pretty : when one has seen it alone, for many 
years, and has forgotten the features of other bays, it does 
not appear amiss ; but you, fresh from the bolder landscapes 
of Southern Europe, will be disappointed.&quot; 

Eve, an ardent admirer of nature, heard this with regret, 
for she had as much confidence in the taste of her kinsman 
as in his love of truth. She knew he was superior to the 
vulgar vanity of giving an undue merit to a thing because 
he had a right of property in it ; was a man of the world, 
and knew what he uttered on all such matters ; had not a 
particle of provincial admiration or of provincial weakness 
in his composition ; and, although as ready as another, and 
far more able than most, to defend his country and her insti 
tutions from the rude assault of her revilers, that he seldom 
made the capital mistake of attempting to defend a weak 
point. 


468 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

The scenery greatly improved, in fact, however, as the 
ship advanced ; and while she went through the pass called 
the Narrows, Eve expressed her delight. Mademoiselle Vief- 
ville was in ecstasies, not so much with the beauties of the 
place as with the change from the monotony of the ocean to 
the movement and liveliness of the shore. 

&quot; You think this noble scenery ?&quot; said John Effingham. 

&quot;As far from it as possible, cousin Jack. I see much 
meanness and poverty in the view, but at the same time it 
has fine parts. The islands are not Italian, certainly ; nor 
these hills, nor yet that line of distant rocks ; but, together, 
they form a pretty bay, and a noble one in extent and uses 
at least.&quot; 

&quot; All this is true. Perhaps the earth does not contain 
another port with so many advantages for commerce. In 
this respect I think it positively unequalled ; but I know a 
hundred bays that surpass it in beauty. Indeed in the 
Mediterranean it is not easy to find a natural haven that 
does not.&quot; 

Eve was too fresh from the gorgeous coast of Italy to be 
in ecstasies with the meagre villages and villas that, more 
or less, lined the bay of New-York ; but when they reach 
ed a point where the view of the two rivers, separated by 
the town, came before them, with the heights of Brooklyn, 
heights comparatively if not positively, on one side, and the 
receding wall of the palisadoes on the other, Eve insisted 
that the scene was positively fine. 

&quot; You have well chosen your spot,&quot; said John Effingham ; 
&quot; but even this is barely good. There is nothing surpassing 
about it.&quot; 

&quot; But it is home, cousin Jack.&quot; 

&quot; It is Aome, Miss Effingham,&quot; he answered, gaping , 
&quot; and as you have no cargo to sell, I fear you will find it 
an exceedingly dull one.&quot; 

&quot; We shall see we shall see,&quot; returned Eve, laughing. 
Then, looking about her for a few minutes, she added with 
a manner in which real and affected vexation were prettily 
blended, &quot; In one thing I do confess myself disappointed.&quot; 

&quot; You will be happy, my dear, if it be in only one.&quot; 

&quot; These smaller vessels are less picturesque than those 
I have been accustomed to see.&quot; 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 469 

&quot; You have hit upon a very sound criticism, and, by go 
ing a little deeper into the subject, you will discover a sin 
gular deficiency in this part of an American landscape. 
The great height of the spars of all the smaller vessels of 
these waters, when compared with the tame and level coast, 
river banks, and the formation of the country in general, 
has the effect to diminish still more the outlines of any par 
ticular scene. Beautiful as it is, beyond all competition, the 
Hudson would seem still more so, were it not for these high 
and ungainly spars.&quot; 

The pilot now began to shorten sail, and the ship drew 
into that arm of the sea which, by a misnomer peculiarly 
American, it is the fashion to call the East River. Here 
our heroine candidly expressed her disappointment, the 
town seeming mean and insignificant. The Battery, of 
which she remembered a little, and had heard so much, al 
though beautifully placed, disappointed her, for it had neither 
the extent and magnificence of a park, nor the embellish 
ments and luxurious shades of a garden. As she had been 
told that her countrymen were almost ignorant of the art 
of landscape gardening, she was not so much disappointed 
with this spot, however, as with the air of the town, and 
the extreme filth and poverty of the quays. Unwilling to 
encourage John Effingham in his diposition to censure, she 
concealed her opinions for a time. 

&quot; There is less improvement here than even I expected,&quot; 
said Mr. Effingham, as they got into a coach on the wharf. 
&quot; They had taught me, John, to expect great improvements.&quot; 

&quot; And great, very great improvements have been made 
in your absence. If you could see this place as you knew 
it in youth, the alterations would seem marvellous.&quot; 

&quot; I cannot admit this. With Eve, I think the place mean 
in appearance, rather than imposing, and so decidedly pro 
vincial as not to possess a single feature of a capital.&quot; 

&quot; The two things are not irreconcilable, Ned, if you will 
take the trouble to tax your memory. The place is mean 
and provincial ; but thirty years since it was still meaner 
and more provincial than it is to-day. A century hence it 
will begin to resemble a large European town.&quot; 

&quot; What odious objects these posts are !&quot; cried Eve. 
40 


470 HOMEWARD BOUND. 

&quot; They give the streets the air of a village, and I do not 
Bee their uses.&quot; 

&quot; These posts are for awnings, and of themselves they 
prove the peculiar country character of the place. If you 
will reflect, however, you will see it could not well be other 
wise. This town to-day contains near three-hundred thou 
sand souls, two-thirds of whom are in truth emigrants from 
the interior of our own, or of some foreign country; and 
such a collection of people cannot in a day give a town any 
other character than that which belongs to themselves. It is 
not a crime to be provincial and rustic ; it is only ridiculous 
to fancy yourselves otherwise, when the fact is apparent.&quot; 

&quot; The streets seem deserted. I had thought New York a 
crowded town.&quot; 

&quot; And ) r et this is Broadway, a street that every American 
will tell you is so crowded as to render respiration impos 
sible.&quot; 

&quot; John Effingham excepted,&quot; said Mr. Effingham smiling. 

&quot; Is this Broadway ?&quot; cried Eve, fairly appalled. 

&quot; Beyond a question. Are you not smothered ?&quot; 

Eve continued silent until the carriage reached the door of 
her father s house. On the other hand, Mademoiselle Yief- 
ville expressed herself delighted with all she saw, a circum 
stance that might have deceived a native of the country, 
who did not know how to explain her raptures. In the first 
place she was a Frenchwoman, and accustomed to say plea 
sant things ; then she was just relieved from an element she 
detested, and the land was pleasant in her eyes. But the 
principal reason is still in reserve : Mademoiselle Viefville, 
like most Europeans, had regarded America not merely as 
a provincial country, and this without a high standard of ci 
vilization for a province, as the truth would have shown, but 
as a semi-barbarous quarter of the world ; and the things 
she saw so much surpassed her expectations, that she was 
delighted, as it might be, by contrast. 

As we shall have a future occasion to speak of the dwell 
ing of Mr. Effingham, and to accompany the reader much 
further in the histories of our several characters, we shall 
pass over the feelings of Eve when fairly established that 
night under her own roof. The next morning, however, 
when she descended to breakfast, she was met by John 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 471 

Effingham, who gravely pointed to the following paragraph 
in one of the daily journals. 

&quot; The Montauk, London packet, which has been a little 
out of time, arrived yesterday, as reported in our marine 
news. This ship has met with various interesting adven 
tures, that, we are happy to hear, will shortly be laid before 
the world by one of her passengers, a gentleman every way 
qualified for the task. Among the distinguished persons ar 
rived in this ship is our contemporary, Steadfast Dodge, Es 
quire, whose amusing and instructing letters from Europe 
are already before the world. We are glad to hear that Mr. 
Dodge returns home better satisfied than ever with his own 
country, which he declares to be quite good enough for him. 
It is whispered that our literary friend has played a conspi 
cuous part in some recent events on the coast of Africa. 
though his extreme and well known modesty renders him in 
disposed to speak of the affair ; but we forbear ourselves, 
out of respect to a sensibility that we know how to esteem ! 

&quot; His Britannic Majesty s ship, Foam, whose arrival we 
noticed a day or two since, boarded the Montauk off the 
Hook, and took out of her two criminals, one of whom, we 
are told, was a defaulter for one hundred and forty thousand 
pounds, and the other a deserter from the king s service, 
though a scion of a noble house. More of this to-morrow.&quot; 

The morrow never came, for some new incident took the 
place of the promised narration. A people who do not give 
themselves time to eat, and with whom &quot; go ahead&quot; has 
got to be the substitute of even religion, little troubling 
themselves to go back twenty-four hours in search of a 
fact. 

&quot; This must be a base falsehood, cousin Jack,&quot; said Eve, 
as she laid down the paper, her brow flushed with an indig 
nation that, for the moment, proved too strong for even ap 
prehension. 

&quot; I hope it may turn out to be so, and yet I consider the 
affair sufficiently singular to render suspicion at least na 
tural.&quot; 

How Eve both thought and acted in the matter, will ap 
pear hereafter. 

THE END. 


* 


T0 



48912 
Cooper. J* F 

lovols, (Homaward 


955 
0778 

v.lft 


bound; or the chase 



OCT 11 1940 J 

APR 1.R 1Q41 f,J 


SLP 27^ 

&quot; ~ ~ 



* V: 8 


UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 


